Out of Time
by 1st endeavor
Summary: One of the team has been kidnapped, can the others find him before they run out of time.
1. Chapter 1

-1Title: Out of Time

Author: 1st endeavor

A/N: All the characters and references to the show "NUMB3RS" are the property of Cheryl Heuton and Nick Falacci, CBS and the Scott Brothers. I am not making any profit from this and no infringement is intended.

Chapter 1

6:00 a.m.

Charlie Eppes looked around his bedroom , mentally checking off the things he required for the day's scheduled events. First up, wearing apparel for the day's activities. Already dressed in his favorite tee shirt, a pair of jeans and his sneakers he added a blue long sleeved button up shirt. He put it on leaving it unbuttoned and then draped a tan blazer over his arm to dress it all up for the meetings he had later that morning. Grabbing his bag he started out of the room but paused in the doorway . Sitting the bag down, he turned and tilted his head as if he were trying to remember where he put something. Quickly checking the pockets of the blazer he was carrying and finding only chalk in one pocket, he laid it across his bed and hurried over to his closet. Opening the door he perused the various jackets until his eye fell upon the one he wanted, searching the pockets until he found a small black velvet box.. He opened it and looked at it momentarily, wondering for the 100th time if he really could do it. Finally, with an affirmative shake of his head, he closed the box, grabbed his jacket from the bed and walked back to the doorway. Once there, he bent down and put the precious box in his bag and headed for the staircase.

He came down the staircase of his Craftsman home with a purpose. It was only 6:00 a.m. but he felt like he was already running late, with departmental meetings, two classes and a seminar on "random matrices:, he was worried that he wouldn't have enough time to get everything finished. As he gathered his papers and laptop he noticed his father, Alan, cleaning his golf clubs.

"So, Dad….not working today?

"Not today Charlie, Stan and I decided to take a break and go golfing, a couple of our clients are going to join us. There's coffee in the kitchen."

"I'll grab a cup when I get to school, I really need to get moving."

"Your off early this morning," stopping his cleaning and looking up at his son. "What's going on?"

"Just a busy day….and if I'm lucky, Amita and I will have a chance to do some hiking later in the evening. Oh, and Dad" he hesitated, debating on whether he should tell his father of his intentions. He had already performed all the calculations and he had a 95 percent probability of the evening having the outcome that he desired, but there was that 5 percent chance that kept him from being certain and until he was 100 percent sure, he wasn't going to tell anyone.

"Yes, Charlie?" Alan prompted., eyeing his son closely. Something was up, he could tell, "Charlie?" he asked again.

Startled , his youngest blushed, "Oh…ah….sorry Dad. I'll probably be late tonight, so don't hold dinner for me, okay?"

Without waiting for an answer he collected his things and headed for the door. Glancing back at his father he froze with his hand on the doorknob. Alan was staring at him with a strange smile on his face.

"What?….he asked, checking his clothing to make sure he hadn't forgotten to button or zip anything, he looked back at his Dad with a puzzled expression on his face.

"Nothing," Alan chuckled, "I was just thinking…..I might get those grandchildren after all." and then his smile took in his whole face.

His son rolled his eyes and graced him with a big smile in return.

"See you later." he called out as he closed the door and hurried out to his car.

8:00 a.m.

Don nodded at the guard as he walked through the main lobby of the downtown Los Angeles F.B.I headquarters. His heart felt lighter this morning than it had in a long, long, time. His sessions with Dr. Bradford had been going well and the discoveries he had made about himself had been enlightening to say the least. The last session in particular when he had asked his brother to attend., had been a real eye opener. It gave him a new insight in the way he felt about himself and who he had become.

He took the elevator to his floor and as the door opened he could see his team finishing up the reports from their latest case. As he walked toward his desk, Megan Reeves raised her head and smiled at him. "Hi Don, your certainly in a good mood this morning, you must have gotten a good nights sleep last night."

The senior agent chuckled as he sat down at his desk. "I certainly did and now I'm ready to tackle our next case. Have you guys finished all of the reports from the Thompson case?"

Megan saluted him with her coffee cup "Mine is on your desk, I finished it last night."

With a slight shrug of his shoulders, agent David Sinclair glanced over at his partner "How does she do that….man , she finishes her reports before I even get started."

Colby Granger snickered "Just wait until Flinehart gets back down to Earth, and we'll just see how fast she gets her reports finished then."

The attractive agent graced him with a glare "Very funny Granger, let's see how long it takes you to finish yours. H'm , I wonder what Charlie would say the odds of your getting finished before lunch would be. What do think guys….maybe he should buy lunch for all of us ."

David leaned back in his chair and grinned at his friend. "I think Charlie would say that Colby buying lunch would be a random occurrence or some kind of anomaly,"

"Ha, ha, you guys are so funny."

Don couldn't help but smile at this exchange, the junior agent was always complaining because they never got paid for overtime and was always the last to volunteer to buy lunch. Focusing on his own report he was just opening the folder when the phone on his desk started ringing. He absently picked up the receiver as he was looking over the data .

"Eppes"

"Are you Special Agent Don Eppes?"

That one question was enough to get his full attention, his good mood disappeared as he listened to an electronic digitized voice. Someone that wanted to hide his identity was never a good sign. His change in demeanor instantly alerted his fellow agents that something was wrong so he put the call on speaker and motioned for David to put a trace on the call.

"Yeah, who are you?

"It doesn't matter who I am, agent, there are more important issues to discuss. For instance, your team has cost me a lot of money and ruined a plan that I spent a lot of time putting together. You will be interested to know that I have developed a new plan and one that I have taken special steps to make certain that you cannot stop."

Puzzled, the agent glanced at his team and then answered. "If we stopped you once before, what makes you so sure that we won't do it again?"

Laughter came out of the speaker, "Because, I've discovered your secret, would you like to know what I found out about your team? Of course you would but first let's have a roll call, I want to be sure that everyone is there."

Don was starting to lose his patience "Were not here to play games pal, just tell me what you want!"

David raised two fingers indicating that he needed two more minutes to complete his trace.

"Trust me Agent Eppes, you will want to hear this….now, we know your there, is Special Agent Reeves present?"

Megan locked eyes with Don and when he nodded his head she answered "I'm here".

"Very good" said the caller. "Is Special Agent David Sinclair present?"

"Yes, I'm here." David answered in a quiet voice.

"How about Special Agent Colby Granger, is he there?"

In a voice full of irritation Colby answered "Yeah, I'm here too."

"Excellent, now we are going to find out how **special** you really are. Wait a minute, I think were missing someone, another member of the team perhaps?"

Don was getting an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach and when the caller asked the next question his worst fears were realized.

"Is Professor Charles Eppes present?"

Before the senior agent could respond to the question a familiar voice answered, "I'm here too."

Don was on his feet in an instant. "Charlie? Are you okay, where are you? Charlie, answer me?" The other agents were standing now and the expressions on their faces mirrored his own as the reality of the situation became apparent to all of them.

"Dr. Eppes is not at liberty to talk at the moment and our time is up. I'll be in touch."

Don panicked and yelled, "Wait, don't …..but the line went dead before he could finish his sentence.

Flashback: 7:15 a.m.

At an old abandoned hotel on the south side of L.A., Charlie was standing in the middle of a room trying to make some sense out of his current situation. The morning had started out normal enough, but after leaving his home for work his life had suddenly taken of in a downhill spiral. He had only been a few blocks from his house, when a white van cut in front of his car and two men wearing ski masks had jumped out and forced him into the van. He tried to fight them but they were too fast and much larger than he was. His arms were forced behind his back and his hands were tied, blindfolded and gagged he was pushed to the floor of the van. Trying to hold off the panic that was building inside of him he tried to concentrate on how many times the vehicle had to stop and the surrounding sounds. Maybe he could figure out where they were taking him, with enough data, math could help him in any situation, after all, everything was numbers.

When the van finally stopped Charlie's panic attack resurfaced immediately and he started to struggle with his captors when they pulled him from the van. They laughed at his efforts and pushed and shoved him back and forth between each other. He stumbled along between them and entered a structure. They walked for a few minutes and then they stopped and held him up between them. Although, no words were spoken, the young man sensed another presence. Suddenly, he felt someone going through his pockets, removing his cell phone and wallet., and then blessedly his gag was removed and he swallowed hard against the bile that was rising in his throat. Who were these guys and what did they want from him? His thought process was cut off when one of his captors finally spoke to him and even though the man's voice was disguised by some type of electronic device, it sounded oddly familiar to him. The fact that they were going to so much trouble to hide their identity gave him a little relief, if they were going to kill him, they wouldn't bother to go to these lengths. What did they want from him? His answer came a few moments later.

"Professor, we have never met personally but because of you, I have lost a considerable amount of money, 3. 2 million dollars to be exact. I spent two years putting that plan together and it only took you one hour to destroy it. You know, I had considered every possible scenario that the police and the F.B.I would use to stop me…..well….all but one that is. How was I to know that F.B.I. would consult a **genius** to help them solve the case?

Even through the electronic device Charlie could here the hatred and bitterness when the man had said the word "genius" ,and he started to sweat a little more as he felt the hands tighten on his arms."

"I have a new plan, one in which you will play a very important part….but first we are going to make a phone call to your brother and …..Professor, you will say what I tell you to say or he will hear his "little brother" dying. Have I made myself clear?"

The young man nodded his head and stood quietly between the two men that were holding him. He realized who had kidnapped him as soon as the man had mentioned the amount of money he had lost and he prayed that Don would find him quickly because he knew what this man was capable of doing.

8;20 a.m.

Twenty minutes, he had only been at work for twenty minutes, and his whole world had been torn apart. His younger brother was in the hands of some maniac that had a personal grudge against him and his team and he didn't have a clue who it was. Pacing the floor and running his hands through his hair Don turned to face his team.

"David, please tell me you were able to get a trace on that line?"

With an ear to his phone the younger agent held up his other hand asking for silence as he was listening to the technician at the other end of the line.

"Are you sure about that? Okay, just get me a location and make it fast!" Slowly he raised his head and made eye contact with his friend.

"Don, he was calling from Charlie's cell phone, tech's trying to get a GPS lock on it now. We should know in a few minutes."

"He didn't even make any demands," Colby said in disbelief. "What kind of person calls up the F.B.I. just to taunt them?"

"A very dangerous person Granger." As three pair of eyes turned to her she walked around the room as she explained. "This man is smart but he needs to prove to himself and to us that he is smarter than we are and he thinks that by taking Charlie away from us he can achieve that."

"Yeah, right," David closed his phone and frowning he turned to the others. "Tech's didn't have enough time to get a GPS trace."

At this statement the senior agent started pacing around the room again trying to pull himself together. He couldn't help Charlie if he couldn't control his emotions….he could do this, he had too. Taking a deep breath, he walked back to his desk and turned to face his team.

"All right, let's review what we know. He said we would be hearing from him, so David let's make sure the tech's are up and ready to go as soon as he contacts us again."

"I'm on it, Don." Quickly opening his phone and punching a few buttons the agent started notifying the appropriate departments.

"This guy has done a lot of research on us. We need to pull all the cases that Charlie has helped us on, especially the ones where a lot of money was involved. If we can figure out who this guy is maybe we find out where he took my brother."

"How would he even know about Charlie? He's a consultant and only people in the legal systems would even be aware of the work that he does for us.

"If we can answer that question Colby, we'll have a better chance of catching him." his partner responded quietly.

Lost in thought, Megan was sitting at her desk with her fists under her chin, suddenly she slapped the palms of her hands on her desk. "Hey guys, do you remember that break in a few months ago, the one where the Federal Court records were hacked into and some of the court cases were downloaded."

Excitedly, the senior agent added "Yeah…yeah….that's right, that haven't found the hackers yet. I see where your going with this Megan and that's a good place to start."

. 

8:30 a.m.

Alan Eppes grabbed his golf bag and loaded it in his car. What a beautiful day this was turning out to be, a perfect day for a game of golf. The consulting business had kept him pretty busy lately…..well that and occasionally helping his sons out on a F.B.I case. He really enjoyed working with them on those cases, applying his experience of the L.A. area on several cases had helped Don's team catch the criminals and put them behind bars. He understood why Charlie liked helping his brother so much. It gave you a good feeling to help get the negative forces off the streets. Although his youngest said it was because he wanted to see his mathematical skills applied to everyday life, Alan knew that this was only a part of it. He had confessed to him once that it gave him a chance to be around his older brother but he would never admit that was the reason in front of Don. If those two only knew how much alike they really were, they would be so surprised.

He turned on the radio and started humming along with the song that was playing as he pulled out of the driveway. The elder Eppes headed for the 10 and hoped that he would be able to avoid the heaviest traffic. He was approaching a stop sign and had just flipped on his right turn signal when he noticed a car that looked just like Charlie's parked along side of the curb. _"There's probably a lot of cars like his but I wonder what he would say the odd's are of it having a Calsci parking sticker on the windshield." _There wasn't much traffic at the moment so he backed up slowly until he could park behind the other vehicle.

Getting out of his car he walked toward the other car. _"This is silly, if Charlie had any problems with his car, he would have called or even walked back to the house, it's only a couple of blocks…..this can't be his car, it's ridiculous" _…but it was…he knew it before he walked up to the driver's door and saw what was sitting on the passenger seat.

All thoughts of golf vanished as he pulled out his cell phone and started dialing.

..

8:45 a.m.

The war room was running at full speed…each team member checking into different case files, trying to find that one connection that could take them to Charlie. Walking toward the front of the room Don directed his agents to start reviewing the material they had gathered.

Megan spoke up first "I checked with the courthouse and three of our cases were among the ones that were downloaded during the theft." Holding her hand up she counted off the cases with her fingers.

"Case number one was the Russian mob case, number two was the Santiago kidnapping and number three was the Linda Shay murder….all cases involving large amounts of money."

"Okay, so we need to find out where the perps are in these cases and find out who they've had contact with." Don glanced at his watch, "It's been forty-five minutes since the phone call and we still don't know what kind of demands were dealing with here."

He walked to the front of the room and put a picture of his brother on the board, hesitating momentarily before taping the photo to the board. It was a picture he had taken of Charlie while he was explaining one of his equations to them……_which case was that anyway, there have been so many……Bradford was right, you really have become a member of this team, how is it that I didn't notice that before now……I guess I just keep seeing you as my little brother…..I got it now…I know when I took this picture, it was during that theft at Calsi…..and you were explaining about finding someone through the ripples they left behind. Are there ripples that I can use to find you? I guess I should have paid more attention to that equation,, huh? _He put the photo on the board and rubbing his hands through his hair he turned away and walked back to his desk and sat down trying to bring the agent back into focus and put the big brother on the back burner.

He would have to tell Assistant Director Wright about the case as soon as he knew a little more and then the case would be given to another team because they would be too close to it to be objective, but he couldn't let go yet…he needed to…no, they needed to be on this case a little longer, after all, Charlie wasn't just his brother, he was one of the team, he was one of them.

"Don, we have an APB out on Charlie's car and I spoke with Calsci security, he never made it to school so were going to backtrack to the house. Do you know which route he usually takes?" Megan inquired, watching him closely, after all profiling was her specialty. The agent didn't respond to her question and concerned for her friend she started to rise from her chair but was interrupted by the ringing of her phone.

"Reeves" she responded. "Okay, send it up right away." Hanging up the phone as she stood up

"Don, that was security, an envelope was just delivered for you at the guard's station, they're sending it up now."

She walked over and stood in front of his desk, joined by David and Colby.

"Maybe this is it" Colby muttered under his breath, "Maybe now we can finally find out what this is all about."

His partner nodded his head in agreement "I hope so, we need more data," he allowed a small smile to touch his lips, "I'm starting to sound like Charlie."

Don snickered, "Well, don't tell Charlie, we'll never hear the end of it." he sobered up quickly. "On second thought, when we find him, feel free to tell him how much we appreciate all he's done for us."

"We will find him Don, this guy was right about one thing, Charlie is a member of this team and were not going to give up until we get him back.' Megan added.

David cleared his throat, "Don, have you said anything to Alan yet?

"No" he sighed "I've got to have more to tell him….I'll call him later." The other agents nodded sympathetically, they were a close family and knew how hard Don's father was going to take the news.

"Agent Eppes," all eyes turned to the doorway, the security guard crossed the room and handed Don an envelope, "this was delivered about ten minutes ago, x-rays show a DVD and a flash drive inside….no security risk was detected."

"Did you get any I.D. on who delivered it?"

"A kid brought it in, said some man paid him fifty bucks to bring it in., couldn't see his face, stayed in the shadows of the bldg. We've got his name and address but I don't think it will lead us anywhere." he added as headed through the door.

"Thanks" the agent replied as he removed the disk and flash drive from the envelope and handing them both to David, "Let's see what we are dealing with."

The agent immediately inserted the disk and four pair of eyes turned to the large plasma screen on the wall in front of them. The scene that played out before them sent their hearts racing and there was nothing they could do but sit and watch it unfold.

Charlie was seated at a small table and there was a man standing on each side of him with hoods covering their faces and both fully armed. He didn't appear injured but he looked extremely nervous and appeared to be reading a piece of paper. His brow furrowed and the expression on his face changed as he continued to read, his nervousness changed to disbelief and then …..anger. He brought his head up defiantly, eyes flashing and glared at his unseen captor.

"You can't be serious…I mean…this…this….you can't do this to me, I have a life…a. family….you can't take this from me…I will not read this!" and he threw the paper down on the table.

"Dr. Eppes, your brother is going to receive a video from me and I will let you decide what the content will be. It can be a video with you reading this message or it can be a video of your death….now, which one do you think he would rather see? I'll give you a moment to decide."

The young man's face had paled as his captor spoke and his anger began to fade as the logic of the situation came into focus. He didn't want to die and he certainly didn't want his brother to witness it. With a shaking hand he wiped the sweat from his brow and reached for the paper.

The electronic voice responded "I'm glad you have reconsidered….just read the note, and remember, no tricks Professor."

Charlie stared straight ahead for a moment and then glanced side to side at the two men flanking him…he brought his hand up and rubbed his face as if he was considering something and then spoke to his unseen captor.

"This is very thorough….methodical….you would make an excellent mathematician."

"I said, no tricks, now read the note!" as if to emphasize his words, the man on Charlie's right nudged him on the shoulder with his gun.

Charlie swallowed nervously and glancing occasionally at the man in front of him, he began to read:

"**The F.B.I . is responsible for ruining my plans and taking my money from me and now must be held accountable for this crime. You are not smarter than I am and I'm going to prove it. The only way you discovered my plan was because you had the help of a genius, and for his part in this crime, it will be his responsibility to return my money to me. He can't help you now and we'll see if your smart enough to help him.**

Charlie's voice faltered slightly as he read "**The Professor will be auctioned off to the highest bidder. I have been advertising his sale for a month now and I have found a a number of interested people who find his mind and his looks very appealing. I even had a few offers to purchase him immediately…..**his voice fading a little as he read on. **This sale promises to bring me a lot more money than I originally lost.**

**The flash drive will give you access to an encrypted website where the auction will take place. Actually, it has already started. You will have twenty-four hours to find him, after that he and I will disappear. You will receive a signal that will appear at random intervals **for **two minutes each hour. This will serve three purposes:**

**1. You will be able to see that the Professor is relatively unharmed.**

**2. In the lower left corner of the video you will be able to see how the bidding is going.**

**3. You will share the same clock that I have, the time shown on the video will count down to the end of the auction. The clock started as soon as I was notified of his capture, at 6:15 a.m. and will stop a 6:15 a.m. tomorrow morning. You are a few hours behind so I suggest you get busy.**

Charlie paused and rubbed his eyes and with a shaking hand he picked up the paper and began to read again in an unsteady voice.

**One more thing, if any other team heads the investigation, I will terminate the auction and you will lose any chance of finding him. I have a source that will keep me informed if Agent Eppes's team is not in charge.**

The Professor placed the paper back on the table and looked up at the man behind the camera.

"Now what do you want me to do?" he asked angrily, but his expressive eyes reflected the fear that he was trying to conceal.

"Now we wait and we'll see how smart your friends really are, but don't get your hopes

up Professor. You're the genius, I'll let you figure the odds." laughter could be heard off screen and then "Take him to his room….his audience awaits"….more laughter and then the video ended.

Don released the breath that he had been holding and with a shaking hand he pulled out a chair , he needed to sit down after viewing the video….for a moment there he was afraid that Charlie was going to get himself killed….his brother could be really stubborn sometimes. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Megan, the unshed tears in her eyes were a reflection of his own, and he turned his head , suddenly afraid that his tears would begin to fall.


	2. Chapter 2

-1Title: Out of Time

Author: 1st endeavor

Disclaimer: All the characters and references to the show "NUMB3RS" are the property of Cheryl Heuton and Nick Falacci,, CBS and the Scott Brothers. I am not making any profit from this and no infringement is intended.

A/N: I would like to thank Rowena Chase, Eternal Sleep, Jaiden Chase and ALEO for giving me my first reviews. Unfortunately, I have been having some technical problems and I lost them.

I would also like to apologize to anyone who may have received multiple notifications, also due to the afore mentioned problems. However, that has been resolved and I am ready to move forward.

Thank you for your wonderful reviews and I hope you'll let me know what you think of the next chapter. So, without further ado, I present to you Chapter 2 of my story "Out of Time".

Chapter 2:

9:00 a.m.

David walked back in the war room and looked around for the senior agent. Don was sitting at his desk, reviewing the video again. The younger agent couldn't begin to imagine how he felt. Charlie was his friend and team mate, but he was Don's younger brother, how in the world did you deal with something like this. Shaking his head as he walked over to the senior agent's desk, "_Man, I don't remember them covering anything like this at Quantico."_

Megan and Colby joined him by the desk. "Don, the tech's have everything set up, as soon as we get the signal they'll start tracing, we'll record at three different stations, don't want to risk not getting a good recording of these videos.

Reluctantly, the agent turned off the video. He didn't have time for this, he had to focus on the case if he had any chance of helping his brother. He looked around at the agents waiting for his instructions.

"Let's review what we do know" he stood up and walked back to the board and Charlie's picture.

"We know the motive now, revenge and greed…but we still don't know who it is.. Until we get that piece of information, were not going anywhere."

"Like I said, the tech's are all ready, we might be able to get something from the next transmission." David added as he joined Don at the board.'

Colby frowned "Two minutes won't be enough time to trace the signals, this guy is really smart.

"But he's not smarter than Charlie." Megan put in thoughtfully.

Don turned his head and gave her an appraising look, "Yeah, what have you got?"

She shook her head, "Nothing specific yet….it was something Charlie said….sounded a little familiar., but I haven't placed it yet, I'll need to watch the video again."

Don's cell rang, taking if from his pocket he glanced at the phone and his shoulders sagged a little as he recognized his Dad as the caller. He couldn't talk to him now, not yet, he closed the phone and let the call go to his voice-mail. Absently returning it to his pocket he looked up to see three pairs of concerned eyes watching him. Feeling the need to explain, he shrugged his shoulders "It was Dad…I…I'll call him back in a few minutes."

He had to pull himself together, his brother depended on him and letting him down was not an option.. "Okay, what do we know about the cases that were downloaded from the courthouse?"

Colby went back to his desk and grabbed a folder, "I ran down the perps from the Koverchenko case and everyone involved is still behind bars."

"So, we can rule out the Russians," looking over at David he added "You got anything?"

"No, their all doing time too, except Duque got into some trouble with one of his fellow inmates…he's stuck in solitary confinement for a few days, which brings us to your case," he nodded to Megan as he closed the folder.

Megan pulled her hair back, glanced down at the folder she was holding and shook her head. "Nothing here either, everyone involved in this case are where they are supposed to be, nothing stands out. I'm going to watch the video again, I know there is something here. Charlie is trying to tell us something….something he said."

"Were missing something then, one of these guys has Charlie, we'll just have to go through them again." Shaking his head as he walked back to his desk "We've got to get a break from somewhere."

Flashback 8:00 a.m.

Charlie looked around his prison. A small cot in the corner, complete with a blanket and a pillow, one small table in the middle of the room and a chair. On the table there were two 16 oz. bottles of drinking water, a couple of snack size bags, one of pretzels and one of potato chips and for desert, a Snicker's bar. They certainly weren't going out of their way to see to his comfort, still he supposed he should be grateful for these few amenities.

Not that he had much of an appetite, especially after making that video. Shifting his focus back on his surroundings, he noticed another door at the rear of the room. Opening the door he was relieved to find a bathroom, not as clean as he would have liked it, but it looked serviceable, obviously his captors wanted him to be as self-sufficient as possible and that was just fine with him.

Concentrating back on the room again he estimated the height of the room, from ceiling to floor to be around eight feet. There was a small air vent in the corner across from the cot, too high for him to reach even if he could find something strong enough to stand on.

There wasn't any air coming from the vent so he could forget about any fresh air circulating around the room, it was going to get uncomfortable in here. Tilting his head to the side, he could just make out the video camera stuck in the vent, perfect spot for it, the entire room was visible from there with the exception of the area directly underneath the vent. Continuing his investigation of the room he noted that the walls and floor were a dark gray and made of cement. All in all, a very dismal looking room with a wall lamp near the door that provided enough light for the entire room. There was a slight dampness in the air, so he had to be below ground, a basement of some kind, some abandoned business…._hotel maybe_…he mused. He touched the surface of the cold cement with his fingers and felt despair at how isolated he was. His only means of communication with anyone was in the hands of his captors. Leaning back against the wall, he closed his eyes and let his head fall back against it. There had to be something that he could do, he had never given up on anything before and he certainly wasn't going to start now. Pushing himself away from the wall he started pacing the length of the room.

Suddenly stopping in the middle of the room he looked back up at the vent "_two minutes…for two minutes every hour the F.B.I. will be able to see me, that's how I can communicate with them." _He frantically searched through his pockets, they had to be there….they just had to be…and suddenly his fingers closed over the cool objects, when he opened his hand there lay two pieces of chalk. "Yes! This will work, the cement wall will make a perfect chalkboard." Of course, there were a few variables to consider but it would be worth the risk and since he didn't know when the two minutes would start, he'd better begin right away. Choosing the wall that had the most area covered by the camera, he took a deep breath and began to write on the concrete wall and at the same time he prayed that his kidnappers were mathematically challenged .

9:30 a.m.

Leaving Assistant Director Wright's office, Don let out a sigh of relief. The meeting had gone better than he thought it would and after watching the video, the director had not only agreed to leave him in charge of the case but had also stated that all resources of the F.B.I. were now at his disposal. He knew the director had been sincere with his offer, the man had worked closely with Charlie on a terrorist case and seemed to have developed a deep respect for his brother.

Agent Stendhauser's excited voice caught his attention as soon as the door of the elevator

opened. The petite technician was announcing an incoming signal and his team rushed to the war room to view the video.

Covering his mouth with his hand, Don stood beside his fellow agents and watched as his younger brother appeared on the large plasma screen. He almost laughed in relief just to see him alive…and writing on the wall? That part certainly looked normal, he was moving with the same frenetic energy he used when he was working on one of his equations…and then all too soon…he was gone…and they were once again staring at a blank screen.

Don turned and ran to the video room where the technicians were working. "You got that recorded, right?" he asked breathlessly.

"Yes, sir and we are printing out still photos as well. I've sent copies of the video to your computers and you can open it anytime that you are ready."

A male technician approached him "Agent Eppes, we didn't have enough time for a trace, this is going to be difficult without knowing when the signal is going to become available."

"There has to be a way to trace it, keep trying!" He hadn't intended to sound angry and he tried to soften it "Please, just keep trying." The technician nodded his head and went back to his station.

His team had followed him to the tech's station and now they returned with him to the war room. Saving the large screen for the next transmission, they watched the video over again on a smaller screen.

"What's he writing?" Colby asked as they gathered around the screen.

With a shrug of his shoulders his partner added "It looks like some kind of lesson plan for his

students, but why would he do that?"

The older agent was watching his brother closely. "Charlie doesn't just do something….I mean…he's got to be trying to tell us something…you know…..give us some kind of clue." Running his hand over his mouth, he studied the video a little closer. "He would have to hide it though…you know….so the kidnappers wouldn't suspect anything."

"Yeah, but Don, I think David's right, it does look like some sort of lesson plan, maybe he's just trying to keep busy."

Megan leaned a little closer to the screen, "No, I don't think so Colby. I think Don is right. It's exactly the sort of thing that Charlie would do, he is trying to tell us something…but what?"

**Algorithms applied to one specific application:**

**Cake-cutting algorithm - Principle showing how a resource can be distributed seemingly uneven but allows each user to be satisfied with the outcome.**

**State Diagram - A graph whose nodes are states and whose directed area are transitioned labeled by event names.**

**Cake-cutting algorithm + State Diagram equals 1**

Don started pacing the room "Equals one what?" Scrubbing his hands through his hair he looked at his team. "Come on guys…one person…one place…one…" he was interrupted by Megan as she turned excitedly back to the screen.

"One case, Don, one case! What if he's telling us that he has only used these two algorithm's together on just one case." Quickly walking back to grab the case folders she started handing them back to the agents.

"Don, you always put Charlie's equations in the reports, right?"

"Right, it's a part of the investigations."

Colby was the first to look up and sighed, "It's not this one, I remember he used that Game Theory thingy to figure out what Yuri was up too."

"Wait…wait…here it is!" The profiler called out excitedly, pulling the case up on her computer, she quickly scrolled down to the section that she was looking for. "Look, here are Charlie's notes, he mentions the cake-cutting algorithm when he was trying to figure out why that specific amount was asked for as a ransom…and here's the state diagram, he used it when he figured out the maze."

"Don, it's Nacio Duque!, he's the one behind this, he' s the one that has Charlie!" she was practically jumping up and down with excitement.

David shook his head, "Megan, I checked with Chino, the man is still there, he's in solitaire confinement."

"No, it makes perfect sense now." she clicked on the video of Charlie reading the kidnapper's message. "Remember, I said he was trying to tell us something, this is it, listen to what he says here."

"_This is very thorough…methodical….you would make an excellent mathematician."_

Stopping the video she moved her hands excitedly as she explained, "He said those exact words during this case. David you and Colby were out working on the case, and Don you weren't here, you were late that morning, but Amita and I were here and Duque kept removing our tracking devices that we had on Colby, and that's when he said it! she finished breathlessly.

"David you and Colby get up to Chino, see what's really going on with Duque and take a chopper, we don't have a lot time here.," furrowing his brow he looked over at Megan.

"Wait a minute, do you think this guy I smart enough to do all this high tech stuff too?"

Pulling her hair back again, she scrolled back down through the case file, "I'm not sure, maybe, he did know how to use the VOLP systems in the Santiago kidnapping."

"Guys, while your up there, get a list of all of his cellmates and anyone he's been in contact with. Let's see who he's been talking too."

The younger agents hurriedly grabbed their jackets and headed to the elevators.

Don thoughtfully walked back to the now blank plasma screen. Maybe they were finally getting somewhere. Without turning around he said "Megan, maybe you should call Amita, see if you can get her to come here, tell her we need her on a case. Charlie may decide to start adding a few equations to help us out…but don't tell her about Charlie." With a sigh, he added, "I'll tell her when she gets here."

Don posted another picture of his brother on the board, this one was a still photo made from the latest two minute video. Just as the kidnapper had said, in the lower left hand corner of the picture was the time and the money that was being offered. It had only been a few hours and already the tally was over two million dollars. So far Charlie's pictures were the only ones on the board, they thought they had a suspect but until they had more proof it was only speculation. They would know more when David and Colby returned from the prison .

Walking back to his desk he sighed and taking out his cell phone he hit the speed dial and waited for his father to answer. He didn't really want to give him the news over the phone but he couldn't…no, he wouldn't leave here until it was time to get his brother back from the bastards that were holding him. His call went to voicemail so he left an urgent message for his Dad to return his call. Deciding that he could use another cup of coffee, he closed the phone and returned it to his pocket, and made his way toward the break room. He was so lost in thought that he didn't notice the elevator door opening as he walked by it and ran into a man stepping out.

"Uh…oh….sorry, I didn't see you" he apologized turning away, but then the frantic man grabbed his arm and pulled him back. Angrily, he started to jerk his arm back when he looked up and realized who actually had a hold of him.

The Alan Eppes that stared back at him was not the composed man that he was accustomed to seeing, as a matter of fact, he was the exact opposite. He was very agitated and Don could tell from the look in his eyes that something had distressed him very deeply.

"Donnie! Donnie! I can't find Charlie….do you know where he is? He's not at Calsci, he's not answering his phone and I found his…..

"Dad? Dad! What are….he tried to get in a word, but his father's tirade continued.

car but he's not there either…and I've tried to call you but you haven't returned my calls…I didn't know what else to do, except come here." Alan paused momentarily to take a breath and his son saw an opportunity to take control of the conversation.

He started to tell him to calm down when he caught part of what his father was saying.

"You found his car….where…Dad tell me where Charlie's car is?"

Taken aback by his son's question, he stuttered a little in his answer. "Uh…I…I mean I found it parked along Butler street, it's just two blocks from the house, if he had car trouble why didn't he call or just walk home? Donnie, there's something terribly wrong, his satchel is still in the car, and you know he would never leave his laptop somewhere like that, I don't understand….do you know where he is?" He looked into his son's eyes and saw the pain and worry there and it was as if his heart had stopped.

Alan brought his hands up and covered his mouth for a moment, and then he shook his head "No, he can't be gone….you know something don't you….tell me it's not too late, tell me that we haven't lost your brother! He pleaded with him, his eyes searching for some sign of hope in his sons eyes.

Don took a moment to organize his thoughts, his Dad had a right to know the truth and telling him anything less was just not acceptable . Taking a deep breath he looked up to meet his father's troubled eyes.

"Come with me, there's something I need to tell you." taking his father's arm he steered him toward a vacant conference room. Along the way he informed Megan of the location of Charlie's car so she could get a forensics team on it right away.

She didn't mean to stare but Megan couldn't help but watch through the glass as Don explained the events of the last few hours to Alan. The agent's back was turned toward her but she could clearly see the emotions as they registered on his father's face. Shock, horror, denial that this fateful event could really be happening, anger that someone could do something like this to his youngest son and finally acceptance and the fear that went along with the realization that it really was true. When they embraced to give one another some comfort, she turned away, wiping away her own tears and found herself face to face with Amita.

Amita's eyes were wide and she had her hands over her mouth, she too, had witnessed the heart-breaking scene between father and son.

"Megan, where's Charlie? Her voice was trembling and she was becoming alarmed. "Why are Alan and Don so upset….some….something's happened to him, hasn't it?" She continued on without waiting for an answer. "He didn't come to school this morning, he's not answering his phone and now….this." she said waving her arm in the direction of the Eppes men.

"Calm down, and I'll take you to Don, he wanted to talk to you first." taking the girl gently by the arm she started to lead her to the door of the conference room.

The Professor pulled back and shook her head. "Why were you crying? He's gone ..isn't he, I've lost him, haven't I.?" she asked as tears began to fall down her cheeks.

Grabbing her by the shoulders Megan embraced her in a fierce hug "He's not dead but he is in a lot of trouble and if we are going to save him, we will need your help, okay?" she spoke quietly, her voice thick with emotion.

Looking her straight in the eye, Amita nodded her head. The agent gave her an encouraging smile and turned and knocked on the door. Father and son both looked over and Don stood and motioned for them to come in.


	3. Chapter 3

-1

A/N: All the characters and references to the show "NUMB3RS" are the property of

Cheryl Heuton and Nick Falacci, CBS and the Scott brothers. I am not making any profit from this and no infringement is intended.

Chapter 3

12:45 p.m.

Charlie walked to the cot and ripped a piece of cloth from the blanket, he wasn't planning on using it for anything else. He had less than twenty-four hours left and he wasn't going to waste any of that time sleeping. Walking back to the wall he used the cloth as an eraser. He was sure that Megan had figured out his first message so he needed to move on to the next step of his plan. So far his captors had not reacted to what he was doing, so either they didn't consider it a threat or they weren't watching the video. Either way, it was working to his advantage, he just hoped his luck continued to hold.

Picking up a piece of chalk he started writing once again. "_Let's see, an equation to help them pinpoint when the signal will appear. A signal that comes at any given time in an hour, a totally random signal. Of course, it's not really random if someone has programmed it to come at intermittent time periods. I'm not even sure there is an algorithm to perform what I need it to do….hmmm…let me see…._running the different algorithms through his mind he came to the conclusion that he was correct. _"I'll just have to design one to perform the function that is required." _He continued his musings and then began to write his equation on the wall.

………………………………...

1:00 p.m.

David and Colby were back and Don joined his team in the bullpen to review their findings. His Dad and Amita were totally aware of the situation now and after the initial shock had worn off, the young woman was ready and more than willing to help find Charlie. There had been three more video feeds and in the last one Charlie had erased the wall and was starting an equation. His eyes dropped to the lower left corner of the video, the dollar amount had been steadily increasing with each transmission. Feeling more than a little nauseous at the thought, Don turned his attention back to his team.

"Okay, so what have we got?"

"Megan was right, Nacio Duque escaped from Chino two days ago, guards didn't even know it, they thought he was still in solitary confinement." David stood up and put Duque's picture on the board next to one of Charlie's.

"Check this out," Colby added. "Duque starts a fight with another inmate and they both end up in solitaire , now both are missing along with the guard who was in charge of those cells."

His partner picked up the conversation, "Guard's name is Sean Price, he was supposed to retire next year, guess he didn't like his retirement package" he added sarcastically as he put the guard's photo on the board next to Duques. "He missed his shift this afternoon, We've got an A.P.B. out on him and there are agents already on the way to his house."

"Who was the other prisoner?" Megan asked.

"Some dude named Carl Mittendorf, doing time for…"

"Kidnapping," the older agent interrupted, taking the photo from Colby and putting it on the board himself. "Two years ago, the Burdick kidnapping, remember David?"

"I remember, he was an expert at computers, could hack into almost anything. Now we know who hacked into the courthouse computers."

"If memory serves me correctly, he was a student at Calsci and hacked into his math professor's computer …. changed his grades, that got him expelled." Don frowned and walked back to his desk.

The pretty agent exchanged a puzzled look with the other agents, "What's the matter Don, do you remember something else.?"

The senior agent glanced around the room and his eyes fell on the photo of Charlie taken from the latest video, he was just starting to write an equation on the wall, an equation that hopefully would help them predict the signals and trace them.

"Carl Mittendorf, was a math major at Calsci." he said quietly and sat on the corner of a desk. Looking up at the others, he added. "If he figures out what Charlie is trying to do…..he'll find someway to stop him."

………………………………...

Amita stared at the numbers Charlie had written on the wall. She only had a few of them to work with at this point, hopefully by the next video there would be enough for her to see where he was going with this equation. She marveled at his genius, he was designing a new equation to fit this situation, he was amazing that way, just as he had done with the Santiago kidnapping.

Her focus shifted from the equation to his picture. Letting her fingers rest on his photo, a tear fell silently down her cheek. _"Oh, Charlie, I can't lose you, I love you so much. Everything was finally working out for us." _A hand touched her chin and gently pulled her head upward. She could see the same tenderness in Alan's eyes that she had come to love in Charlie's. He offered her a tissue and patted her on the shoulder.

"I'm not going to lose my son and I believe that with all my heart." Alan spoke quietly, his voice breaking up just a little, he wouldn't admit it, but she could see that he was having a difficult time holding it together. Don had allowed him to stay after Alan had convinced him that he couldn't stay home and wait by the phone, he promised to stay out of the way but it helped him to be around the people who were trying to find Charlie and especially to be around his other son.

"Can you determine anything from what he has written so far?" he asked as he squinted at the screen.

"No, it's too soon, he's just beginning his equation. The only thing I can tell you is that he is designing this one, and until he's finished with it I won't be able to determine it's function. Hopefully it's purpose will be to help us predict when we will receive the signals and help us trace them back to their origin."

The announcement of another video immediately stopped their conversation. "Incoming" was a word that had taken on a whole new meaning to everyone within the sound of Agent Stendhauser's voice. Almost everyone froze in position and all eyes turned to the large plasma screen at the front of the room. This was the sixth transmission and they still had not been able to establish any kind of pattern. The technical staff had been trying everything they could think of yet the signals still remained unpredictable and untraceable.

Alan rapidly walked toward the front of the room and stood silently with a hand over his mouth and watched as his youngest son appeared on the screen. He was still working diligently on the equation. There was a lot more of it written on the wall and as they watched he paused momentarily to consider what he had written there. When the screen went blank, Alan remained standing there, his world was beginning to revolve around those two minutes. _"How strange, early this morning there were endless possibilities to my life and now it's limited to just one. How quickly a life can change, in a matter of minutes it can be turned upside down without any warning." _He brought his hand up to wipe his eyes and turned away, he wasn't going to give up, somehow they would find a way to get him back.

………………………………...

The forensics team had brought in Charlie's car and were going over it, but Don didn't really expect them to find anything. His brother's satchel now rested beside his desk. The agent sighed as he glanced down at the bag. Charlie never went anywhere without that laptop…another sign that this was not a dream but a very real nightmare.

Reluctantly, he lifted the bag up to his desk, he didn't really want to go through the bag, but it was evidence now and either he did it or another agent would have to do it, and he disliked that idea even more. He knew there wouldn't be anything in it that related to the kidnapping but procedure dictated that the bag had to be searched. He pulled out Charlie's laptop and set it aside, he would have to give it to the technicians. He allowed himself a small smile at that thought because he knew they would never get passed his brother's encryption codes. His codes were virtually unbreakable. It would take someone with Charlie's capabilities to break it and at this point in time, Dr. Charles Eppes had no equal, he was literally one of a kind. The bag was full of folders, some containing student papers yet to be graded, outlines of future class work, tests and one with the beginning of a speech he was supposed to make at an upcoming graduation. As he got to the bottom of the bag, he found pieces of chalk and some markers. The last thing he pulled out was a small black velvet box and he stared at it momentarily surprised by it's significance. He covered the box with his hand and quickly scanned the room for Amita. She was sitting at one of the desks working diligently on her laptop, too far away to see what Don was doing. Nevertheless, he kept the box hidden behind the pile of folders and opened it.

"_Wow!" _that was some diamond. He didn't know a lot about jewelry, but he knew enough to realize that this one must have set his brother back a few dollars. _"He must have been waiting to get her answer before he said anything to us about it." _Glancing back at Amita "_How could he have any doubts about how she feels about him, she would say yes in an instant." _He closed the case and gently put it back in the bag. It wasn't fair, his brother didn't deserve to have this happening to him. Charlie had helped so many people with his abilities and had the potential to make discoveries that no one else on earth could even begin to do and some scumbag could take him from them forever.

………………………………...

4:00 p.m.

Sweat beaded on his forehead and he absently brought up an arm to wipe it off on the sleeve of his shirt. His tee shirt was already sticking to his back and he knew that pretty soon his shirt would end up over on the chair with his jacket, but that's as far as he was willing to go, he had no intention of putting on a show for anyone watching this video, especially someone with the audacity to think that he could be bought like some commodity. He looked forward to seeing anyone involved in this farce arrested and sent to jail for a very long time.

Backing up until his back rested against the opposite wall he continued to peruse his equation. He almost had it, a few more steps and it should be finished. As usual, the young professor had lost track of time while working with his numbers and glancing at his watch he was amazed at how long he had been there. Was it possible he had been in this room for nine hours? Letting his head fall forward he closed his eyes and rubbed the back of his neck, silently praying that he would get out of there soon.

Stepping away from the wall he removed the shirt and tossed it on the back of the chair.

His eyes fell upon the water and the snacks. His thirst won out over his caution and he took a long drink, it was warm, but he didn't really care as long as it was wet. A growl from his stomach prompted him to grab the Snickers bar and he sat down in the chair to eat it. He rested for a while and then returned to the wall to finish his equation.

………………………………...

6:00 p.m.

Nine transmissions and they still didn't have enough information to put together a possible location. In the video's, Charlie was still working on the equation and Amita was getting it piece by piece, each transmission allowing her to get more and more of his equation.

Sinclair and Granger had left to join the agent's at the guard's house, hoping to find some clue to a location.

Don and Megan were reviewing all the information they had on Nacio Duque, old locations, old friends. He had been a member of the 18th street Mexicali's and with that in mind they had contacted Lt. Gary Walker of the LAPD Gang Unit. They had worked with him on a number of occasions and he had developed a great deal of respect for Charlie. Dismayed to hear what had befallen the Professor, he promised to get his task force on it right away.

Don looked around the room at all of the agents Every single one had volunteered to stay , all of them determined to see it through. His Dad has found something useful to do, he had ordered food from various restaurants and had set up a buffet in the break room, making sure that all involved had something to eat.

It had been a long day and he was afraid that the night would prove to be even longer.

………………………………...

8:00 p.m.

He was finished. Charlie stood back and rubbed is forehead with his hand and thoughtfully studied his work. It was mathematically sound…he was sure of it. The next time the signal went out Amita should be able to see the entire equation and create an algorithm from it to predict the time of the signal transmissions and then backtrack them to the source…his location. Amita was smart and he had complete faith in her abilities, so logically, his plan should work.

He would have to find something else to occupy his time now, sitting and waiting just wasn't his style. Taking another sip of water he looked at the blank wall he was leaning on. Well, there was always P vs. NP, that would certainly keep him busy until morning.

Maybe this time he would actually solve it.

It had been fourteen hours since the kidnappers had forced him from his car, at least twelve hours since there had been any contact with them. Hopefully they would continue to leave him alone, at least until Amita got all of the equation.

………………………………...

1:45 a,m.

Carl Mittendorf staggered back to the room that he had set up as the control room. He had made sure that everything was working properly, showed Duque what to do and had left to celebrate his successful escape from Chino. If the latino wanted to hang around here all day and night, well that was just fine by him, after all, he had set up all of the necessary equipment to get their little party started, so he deserved to go out and have a good time, let Duque stay and baby sit the professor. Just as soon as he got his share of the money he was leaving LA behind for good.

He had set up two laptops, one to provide the video link from the professor to his potential buyers and the F.B.I., and the other one for contact with their online bidders. It was that laptop that drew his attention first, he wanted to check the amount that were being offered. A loud whistle exploded from his lips and grinning he turned to his partner who was seated at a table where the other laptop had been placed.

"Hey, man…you really had a great idea…who would've thought that a math professor could bring us so much money." he raised his hand to give the other man a high five but hesitated when he saw the look on the man's face.

"Where have you been?! I've been trying to call you all day…..if you've done anything to screw this up, I'll shoot you." the latino angrily retorted.

"Chill, dude, I just needed to relax a little….I didn't talk to anyone about this, what do you think I am, stupid?" Sliding over another chair to sit down, he paused halfway in the process when he glanced at the monitor. "What the hell!….how long has he been doing those equations?

"All day, it's kept him quiet, and the bidding actually increased after he started working on them….why?

Mittendorf jumped up and pulled on his mask. "You idiot! What do you think he's been doing? He consults for the F.B.I.. How do you know he's not telling them how to find us? he shouted as he ran to the room where they were keeping their captive.

Duque grabbed his own mask and took off after the other man yelling "Don't hurt him….they won't pay if he's hurt….. Mittendorf!"

In an uncontrollable rage Carl pushed open the door and stormed into the room.

Charlie was working on P vs. NP and the door crashing open startled him so much he dropped the chalk he was using. "_Uh, oh, they finally looked at the video, I guess my luck just ran out". _He didn't have much time to reflect on the matter, the enraged man came at him so fast that any defensive moves he might have tried were out of the question. With a loud bellow his captor took him by his arms and threw him against the opposite wall where he had written his equations. The back of his head hit the wall with such force that he blacked out momentarily and he found himself sliding down the side of the wall, a trail of blood following him down. Trying to stay conscious was really becoming very difficult. Slowly he touched the back of his head and felt something warm and sticky. Holding his hand up in front of his face he tried to focus on the red stain but his vision was becoming more and more blurry and his head was pounding so hard that he could barely here what the angry man was yelling about.

"You son of a bitch! What did you tell them? Your going to pay for this!" and he aimed a vicious kick at Charlie's ribs..

The sudden excruciating pain in his ribs made him forget about the pain in his head, he gasped and doubled over trying to wrap his arms protectively against further assaults. He was losing his battle to stay awake and as all consciousness started to fade away he saw the man raise his foot to deliver another blow but he mercifully passed out before he could feel it.

Nacio ran into the room just as the other man was bringing his foot back to kick the professor a third time, he tackled his partner and knocked him to the floor.

"Stop it! I'll kill you if you touch him again! he yelled , pointing his gun at the other man. "You better hope that he's okay or I will pull this trigger….now…back…off!!"

Carl pushed himself up off the floor and raised his hands in submission, the sight of the gun brought him to his senses. "Okay….okay….just put it away. I just lost my temper, that 's all, I didn't hurt him that much. "he muttered.

"Really…then why is he unconscious!" holstering his gun, the latino bent down and put two fingers to the young mathematician's neck. "You are one very lucky gringo, he still has a pulse…help me put him on the cot, we'll make it look like he's just sleeping. "

The two men picked up the unconscious man and laid him on the cot. Duque rolled Charlie over so he could get a look at the wound, it wasn't deep and it had already started to clot.

"I don't think it's too bad, he'll probably have a concussion from it though, but nothing permanent. Did you do anything else? " When he didn't get an answer, he straightened up an turned to see what his partner was doing.

The other man had found the cloth that Charlie had been using for an eraser and started wiping the equations off the wall. When he finished, all that was left was a dark red spot that was leaving a trail down the wall. He threw the cloth to the floor and started looking around the room.

"What time is the next transmission? " Duque demanded. "We have to make sure that our buyers don't witness this.."

"Don't worry, next transmission is twenty minutes away," the other man said as he looked at his watch " the only thing they are going to see is the little professor sleeping. Now, help me find the dam chalk. Search his pockets, when he wakes up there will be no more writing on the walls!"

The latino conceded and turned to go through the young man's pockets and sure enough he found a piece of chalk.

"Here it is….now let's get out of here. You better hope that he wakes up, because if he doesn't, I promise you, I will kill you. Let's go."


	4. Chapter 4

-1A/N: All the characters and references to the show "NUMB3RS" are the property of Cheryl Heuton and Nick Falacci, CBS and the Scott Brothers. I am not making any profit from this and no infringement is intended.

Chapter 4:

2:00 a.m.

"I've got it!" Amita called out excitedly, "Don, I've got the algorithm!"

All of the agents came running over to her location. "Finally, some good news. Can you predict the time of the next transmission?" Don asked.

"Not yet" she added , her face flushed with excitement. "I'm still running all the data through the algorithm., but it shouldn't take much longer and then we will have the most probable time of the next transmission and a better chance at backtracking to the original site."

Megan checked her watch, "It's 2:00 a.m. now . The signal could come at anytime."

Amita looked up at the group standing around her and for the first time since she had arrived, she actually smiled at them. "Here it is, according to the algorithm, the next transmission will be at 2:15 a.m.."

"Your sure about that Amita?

She looked up at him and with a voice that held no doubt she asked "Don, have you ever known one of Charlie's equations to be incorrect?"

He returned her grin and his eyes crinkled with the smile. "No, I can't say that I have."

"Okay, fifteen minutes to wait." Turning to Agent Stendhauser, he asked "Once the pattern has been established, I want you to join us in the mobile command center." His gaze shifted back to the professor . "Amita, once we are on the road, can you forward the video feed to us?"

"Sure Don, it won't be a problem."

"Megan, have you heard anything from Walker?

She walked back to her desk and picked up a notepad, glancing down at the page she quickly reviewed what she had written there. "He's got units checking out all of the old territory of the 18th street gang but so far they haven't turned up anything useful. Of course, the residents are not on the best of terms with the police…but they might get lucky." her voice faded a little at the end of the sentence. _"I wonder what Charlie would say the odds would be that the police would get lucky here, I probably wouldn't want to know." _she pulled her hair back from her face and tried to give Don an encouraging smile.

David's phone rang and offered a distraction to the uneasy feeling that seemed to be infecting all of them. Answering it quickly, he looked up as he responded, "Are you sure?….okay, we'll be right there." Closing his phone he spoke to his boss, "That was the LAPD, they found the missing guard…. floating face down under the sixth street bridge. He's on his way to the morgue."

"Good, you and Colby get over there, go through everything on him, maybe we'll find something useful."

"On it Don." Colby acknowledged as he and David grabbed their coats and headed for the elevators.

Don checked his watch again, five more minutes and they would know if they could predict the transmissions. So much was riding on this being accurate, if this didn't work, he wasn't sure what he was going to do.

As he walked into the room Megan approached him "Well, we'll know in a few minutes if it works. Amita says she has a "backscatter" program all set up to start backtracking this transmission, and with the data from the other transmissions, she may be able to apply the equation to predict the sites the hacker is using to bounce his signals off and get us closer to his origin."

"Yeah, well…let's hope this works." He left her at the desk and walked toward the front of the room to stand next to his father near the plasma screen.

'Hey, Dad….you okay?"

His eyes glued to the plasma screen, he ignored his son's question and asked one of his own. "Donnie, it's almost time isn't it?"

"If the equation worked, it should start in about a minute." he answered quietly.

Alan merely nodded his head in response, all his concentration centered on one purpose, to see that his youngest son still lived but what he saw when the video started did not alleviate his fears, instead it fueled them. He brought his hands up to cover his mouth and his heart sank as he continued to watch the video.

At exactly 2:15 a.m. the plasma screen came to life, cheers resounded from everyone in the room but quickly faded into silence. They had become so accustomed to seeing the young professor working that it took a moment for them to realize that something was different. The room appeared empty and the wall had been wiped off, although you could still see a few numbers in between the smears of the chalk but more disturbing was a dark blotch on the wall and something trailing from the spot to the floor…..and then they found Charlie., lying motionless on the cot, his arms straight at his sides, his head turned slightly to the right with his eyes closed.

The tension in the room was palpable as the screen went blank. It was the sound of ringing telephones that broke the spell of shock that they had all fallen under and as agents and technicians scurried back to their stations to continue their work, they spared a sympathetic glance for the two mem who still stood motionless in front of the screen.

Megan watched as both Don and Alan's faces paled and grabbed Alan's arm as he suddenly swayed where he was standing. Don grabbed his other arm and between them they managed to lower him to a chair. Out of concern for his father, he knelt in front of him to look at his face…the loss and despair he saw in his eyes nearly took his breath away. As he watched, a tear ran down his father's cheek, and Don realized that he thought Charlie was dead.

"Dad, listen to me, he's alive, they wouldn't"…he couldn't say the word…it caught in his throat…"I mean, I know he's still alive." Taking hold of his father's hands, he gently squeezed them to get his attention. "Dad, he's too valuable to them…I think they hurt him….but I know he's got to be alive."

"Donnie" he whispered, "He was so still….and you know Charlie…his…his…mind is always going….even when he's asleep. He wasn't sleeping Donnie, he wasn't even moving….that's not natural for him and he never sleeps on his back." his voice breaking up toward the end.

"I know Dad, but we have to believe he's still okay, I have to believe this, so I can go on.

I refuse to think it's too late." Taking a deep breath, he released his father's hands and stood up. "Are you with me Dad?" When Alan nodded in agreement the agent squeezed his shoulder and gently said "I've got to see if we were able to trace the signal. I'll be back in few minutes."

Megan joined him as he walked to the tech's station where Amita and Agent Stendhauser were tracing the signals. There were fresh tears on Amita's face but she was determined

to find the origin of the transmissions.

"We've narrowed the area to a two mile radius on the east side." Pointing to a map the petite technician drew a circle around a section of Los Angeles. "The next transmission will bring us closer to the origin."

Don studied the map, the two mile radius definitely covered the old 18th mexicali street gang territory. It was still a lot of area to cover but at least they had some place to start looking now.

"Megan, get in touch with Lt. Walker and give him the new coordinates to cover and have the Mobile Command Unit get ready to roll."

"Amita, do you have a projected time for the next transmission?"

She hastily wiped the tears from her cheeks and pressed a few keys on her laptop. "Yes, here it is….the next transmission will be at 3:30 a.m." she answered in an unsteady voice.

The agent kept it professional…he had to. He needed her help and he couldn't let her lose it now.

"Okay, let's get busy then and get ready for the next signal." he added , his voice a little gruff as he abruptly left the station and returned to his desk. Pulling the map up on his monitor he began studying the area they had pinpointed for Duque's location.

………………………………...

3:45 a.m.

The last transmission had come and gone with Charlie still lying motionless on the cot and this time he had made his Dad sit down before they received it. It was a good thing too or he probably wouldn't have made it to the chair. At least he had been able to make him lie down on a cot that he had brought up and put in one of the vacant conference rooms. He hoped his father would stay on it for a little while, although he doubted that he would stay there very long.

Don checked his watch again and let out a sigh, Amita had predicted the next transmission for 4:20 a.m. In thirty-five minutes the area would be smaller and then he was taking the Mobile Command Unit on site. He needed to be close by when that last minute ran out.

"I'm going to get some coffee, do you want some" he asked Megan as he turned for the door.

"No thanks, I've had so many I don't think the caffeine is working anymore."

"Yeah, I know the feeling." he mumbled as he walked to the break room for another cup.

How many times had be been in there today, he had lost count. Someone had left a radio on and a refrain from Trane's "Calling All Angels" was playing.

He stood there, empty coffee cup in hand, silently staring at the dark city below him, watching as the lights reflected back on the glass of the windows. The song seemed to reach out to him….it seemed to convey exactly how he felt at the moment.

"_I won't give up if you don't give up…..I won't give up Charlie and that means you can't give up either. I wish I knew how to call some angels right now, we sure could use their help." _He had never been that religious but he was willing to admit that if he were to see and angel at this moment, he would be the first to ask for help. _"I hope that Charlie has a guardian angel standing by." _but then the magical moment was broken and his cynical self resurfaced _"Of course if he had a guardian angel then she couldn't have been doing her job or he wouldn't be on that cot, would he?"_ Shaking himself from his reverie he quickly filled his cup and as he turned to leave he noticed another reflection in the window.

Alan Eppes sat quietly at one of the corner tables in the break room, silently staring into a coffee cup that he was holding with both hands. He didn't seem to be aware that his son had even entered the room.

Don hesitated and then approached the table. "Dad?" he asked quietly. Getting no response he moved closer and placed a hand on his father's shoulder. "Dad, are you okay?"

"I'm fine Donnie, just fine." he answered, his eyes still resting on his cup. "I'm just thinking, that's all."

The agent needed to get back to his desk, but the son needed a few moments with his father and he pulled out a chair and sat down. "You should go home Dad, your exhausted. I promise, I'll let you know as soon as I hear something."

His father's head came suddenly. "And just what am I supposed to do at home…..sit by the phone! " He asked heatedly. "No, the best place for me is here…where I can see people trying to get your brother back…..where I can be with you." his eyes and voice softening as he made eye contact with his son. "I can't go back there….not without my sons…..both of them." he whispered as he lowered his head.

"You just looked so tired, I just thought….you know…..never mind."

" I still have some more building plans to look over and I have a few possibilities for you." He brought his head up again and Don could see his eyes glistening with fresh tears. "Amita really loves Charlie, you know, and she's trying so hard to help him. I think those two are good together, don't you?"

"Yeah, I think so too, Dad." he started to tell him about finding the ring….thought that it might lift his spirit's a little but then he thought better of it. That was his brother's secret to tell him, not his, and he wanted more than anything for Charlie to have that chance.

Sighing, Don stood up and looked down at his father. "Okay Dad, finish your coffee and then we'll go over the new area and check the buildings. I'm going back now and see if anything knew has developed.."

Alan simply nodded his head and watched as his son walked back out to the bullpen.


	5. Chapter 5

-1A/N: All the characters and references to the show "NUMB3RS" are the property of Cheryl Heuton and Nick Falacci, CBS and the Scott Brothers. I am not making any profit from this and no infringement is intended.

Chapter 5:

4:00 a.m.

Charlie opened his eyes and winced at the pounding in his head, the room seemed to tilt for a moment so he lay still until it stopped spinning. Taking a deep breath brought another discovery and a new source of pain and every time he took a breath he felt a sharp, stabbing pain in his left side. Memory returned and with it the realization of where he was and what had transpired. Sitting up slowly he gasped as the pain in his side intensified. Wrapping his right arm around his left side, he used his left arm to steady himself as he swung his legs over the side of the cot and onto the floor. Waiting for the pain to subside and the room to stop spinning again he wondered how long he had been out but looking at his watch would be just too much effort right now. He needed water and that was over on the table and that table was in the middle of the room. Under normal circumstances that wouldn't be a problem but his condition at the moment was anything but normal. Slowly scooting over to the edge of the bed he placed his left hand on the wall to help support himself as he …oh… so slowly… stood up. It took all of his strength to remain standing but he managed to stay upright. Keeping a hand on the wall he slowly worked his way around the room, stopping occasionally to let the room stop spinning or the pain to subside.

He had to let go of the wall and it would take at least three steps to reach the table. On the first step he wavered precariously and had to quickly brace himself on the wall again.

After a couple of steadying breaths, he was ready to try it again. One step….two steps…whoops., there was that nasty spin again…steady….breathe…three steps…and he grabbed the edge of the table. With a sigh of relief he sat down heavily in the chair and emitted a groan at the sharp pain the sudden movement had caused. He remained motionless for a few moments waiting for the pain to ease up a little and then slowly reached for the water bottle. Twisting off the lid he took a small sip of the liquid. He was feeling a little nauseous and he didn't want to risk drinking it too fast. Oh…but it tasted so good…he wanted more and took another small drink to wet his lips.

Charlie was so hot and sweat had plastered some of his curls to his forehead. Carefully he removed his shirt from the back of the chair, trying very hard not to upset his ribs again. He poured water on the tail of the shirt and slowly washed his face with it, that made him feel a little better. He continued to pour water on the shirt and washed his neck as well. Feeling more alert, he decided to clean up the cut on the back of his head. Choosing another spot on the shirt he wet it and pressed it to the wound, this brought instant pain and he hissed and pulled it away quickly. Knowing he had to get the wound cleaned, he persisted at it until he was satisfied that he had done all he could do. Lifting up his tee shirt he was amazed at the size of the bruise over his ribs and gently touched the area to try and determine if they were actually broken or just bruised. Of course, he had never suffered that type of injury before, so he didn't really know what signs to look for, he just knew that it hurt like hell.

Shifting his position in the chair, the professor let out a soft moan as the pain assailed him once again and leaning forward he crossed his arms on the table and laid his head down upon them. He closed his eyes and tried to remain perfectly still until the pain subsided once again.

………………………………...

4:00 a.m.

Despair was rapidly overtaking them, she could see it in the faces of her fellow agents.

They were all tired, but they could deal with that, it was the fear that they were already too late that was beginning to show in everyone's movements. The apprehension was tenfold on the faces of Don, Alan and Amita…and on her own face as well, if she was honest with herself.

The young professor had remained motionless in the last two transmissions and although the signals had come as predicted and they were able to narrow the field a little more they couldn't help but wonder if they were already too late.

The ding of the elevator barely registered as she stared at the latest photos taken from the last video. It was almost identical to the previous one but with one exception. There was a marked difference in the dollar amount that was being offered. It had been rising quite rapidly until the two o'clock signal…at that time it was a whopping $15,000.000 dollars but at the three o'clock signal it had only increased by a few thousand more. Apparently, the bidders were unsure of Charlie's condition as well. She hoped they would be able to backtrack to every one of those sick bastards that were bidding on her young friend, she wanted to see all of them behind bars.

The next transmission was predicted for 4:20 a.m. and as eager as they were to narrow the field down even more, there was an overpowering fear of seeing the professor lying motionless once again.

"Hey Megan," a soft voice cut through her musings and startled she quickly looked up

"Uh…hi…David…Colby, did you guys find anything useful on the guard?"

Taking off his jacket and hanging it over the chair, Sinclair sat down tiredly and rubbed at his eyes. "Nothing….not a thing that we could use." he squinted his eyes and took a closer look at her "Did something else happen?

When she didn't answer right away, he shared a worried look with his partner.

"Megan?" he asked as he quietly stood up and walked over to stand in front of her desk, Colby close behind him.

She hesitated a moment and then removed her glasses. When she raised her head to look at them they were able to see the unshed tears in her eyes. Clearing her throat, she answered them, her voice breaking up a little as she began.

"Char…Charlie's equation worked. Amita created an algorithm from it and has accurately predicted the last two transmissions. She has also been able to backtrack on the signal and now we know they are within this two mile radius." Pointing to a map on her desk she showed them the target area.

Puzzled, Colby glanced at David and asked "That's a good thing….right?"

"We've had two transmissions since you left and….and…that thing that Don was worried about…well…it happened." She pressed a few keys on her keyboard and motioned for them to come and take a look.

"This is the 2:15 transmission." she let the video speak for itself and when that was finished she played the next one as well.

"That son of a bitch!" Colby exclaimed heatedly, "He isn't dead….he can't be dead!"

"No….no…..no." David shook his head in denial, "That doesn't make any sense man, they can't get any money if he's not alive….but they did hurt him though."

"I'll say they did!" his partner angrily replied, "that's got to be blood on the wall!"

"Yeah, it sure is." the other agent agreed, "How's Don handling this?"

"He's hurting and so is Alan" she answered as she pulled her hair back with one hand. "The next signal is predicted for 4:20 and if Charlie is still lying in that same position, I think their both going to lose it."

"So, did you guys find out anything?"

Startled, the three of them turned to see their boss standing behind them. Embarrassed to think that he might have overheard their concerns for him, they all started talking at once.

"I was just filling them in…" Megan began as David and Colby simultaneously said "The guard didn't have anything on him."

The senior agent waved both hands in front of him, motioning for them to stop.

"Guys….guys….look it's okay." He glanced at his watch, noting the time at 4:10 and then motioned them over to his desk.

"Cause of death?" he asked.

"Small caliber bullet to the back, right through the heart, coroner says he died instantly." David pulled a notepad from his pocket and flipped through it. "They found his car parked near the bridge, keys were in his pocket as well as his wallet, so robbery wasn't the motive."

Granger picked up the conversation, "It's look like he was meeting someone and things went sour."

Don nodded his head in agreement and then turned their attention to the city map that he had open on his desk.

"I just left the tech's and we've narrowed it down to a mile and a half radius on the east side. After the next transmission it should be less. I have Dad checking his maps on what type of structures would have a room similar to the one Charlie is in. I want you guys to start checking on any types of abandoned hotels, office buildings….warehouses that might be in that area."

"Megan, check for any high electrical usage ….these guy's are running a lot of high tech equipment over there, that's got to register somewhere." Glancing down at his watch again, he continued on "Get your gear together, after this next transmission were going mobile, I want to be as close as possible when we get the final location."

Eager to get started, the three agents returned to their desks.

Don looked at his watch again, 4:18, it was almost time. Running his hands through his hair in frustration, he looked around the room, spotting his father taking his position near the plasma screen….this night was taking its toll on him. He looked at least ten years older than he had when he had first walked into the office. Don had tried to talk him into going home again , even tried to pull the agent-in charge card and make him go home and the man had actually begged him to let him stay and having his father beg him for something was more than he could handle, so he had relented and now here they were again, two minutes away from going through hell .

Another glance at his watch and he walked over to stand beside his Dad. Neither man spoke, at this point talking wasn't necessary, it was enough that they were here together. As the all too familiar "incoming" was announced the room became silent and all eyes

anxiously focused on the large screen on the wall.

"Yes! Way to go whiz-kid!" Colby yelled from the back of the room, unable to contain his enthusiasm at seeing Charlie sitting at the table. Colby's relieved outburst became contagious and the tension in the room seemed to break for a moment as the agents smiled at one another in relief.

"It's sure good to see you Charlie." David whispered, and as a smile began to spread across his face he shared a relieved look with Megan.

Don put a hand on his Dad's shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze and then they both wiped away tears of relief. He was still alive and that gave them the resolve they needed to continue to believe that they would find him and bring him home. Something was wrong though, he was sitting very still, as if he were afraid to move. Getting a closer look at the tee shirt his brother was wearing, he realized that it was the one that he had given him for his last birthday, He had it made especially for him, with the symbol of pi on the front and E equals Eppes on the back. Charlie had always looked younger than his age, but dressed in just a tee shirt, jeans and sneakers, he looked more like one of his students than a full tenured professor, even with the darkening stubble of the beard that was beginning to show. Unfortunately, in this situation, that was the last thing he needed.

This time when the screen went blank, everyone returned to work with renewed energy. The field had been narrowed down to a mile, still a big area to cover….but they were getting closer. The next transmission was predicted for 5:05 a.m. and time was up at 6:15 a.m.


	6. Chapter 6

-1

A/N: All the characters and references to the show "NUMB3RS" are the property of Cheryl Heuton and Nick Falacci, CBS and the Scott Brothers. I am not making any profit from this and no infringement is intended.

Thank you for your wonderful reviews.

Chapter 6:

5:15 a.m. Los Angeles, East side

Charlie walked slowly from one end of the room to the other. It was easier walking now, as long as he didn't make any sudden movements. His headache had subsided to a dull throb on the back of his head and he was thinking more clearly now, although, his concentration level seemed to be at an all time low. His eyes settled on the dried blood on the wall…._my blood_…and he quickly looked away as a shudder coursed through his body. He couldn't remember very much about the attack. It had all happened so fast, one minute he was working on P vs. NP and the next he was sliding down the wall.

A feeling of foreboding was coming over him that he couldn't explain. Maybe it was because the time deadline was getting closer or maybe it was the attack itself, "_probably a little of both" _he thought as he looked around the room.

Walking over to the cot he slowly sat down and leaned forward, resting his left elbow on his knee. He rubbed his forehead absently and as his hand closed into a fist, he brought it up to his lips, lost in thought . "_I wonder how much Don told Dad, this is going to be hard on him and what about Amita? If she has been helping him, then she must know everything that is going on. I hope she hasn't been watching these videos, that would make it even harder for her to deal with, and his brother, how awful it must be for him to watch what is happening." _He looked up at the camera , " _Don, where are you? I know you'll come….you'll get me out of here."_

A noise at the door drew his attention and startled he watched as it began to open. He glanced at his watch as he slowly stood up. Maybe it was Don and the rest of the team… but wouldn't he have called out first? The door was open and Charlie stared in disbelief at the figures that were coming through the open doorway. His eyes widened and shaking his head in denial he slowly backed away from the door until his back was firmly planted against the wall.

………………………………...

6:15 a.m. FBI Headquarters, LA Branch

They were running out of time. Amita was doing her best to trace the video feed back to it's source. She almost had it this time, just a couple of more seconds and she would have it. The young woman glanced at the plasma screen and tried not to panic. The screen had come to life as predicted, at 6:15 and now the last precious minutes were rapidly counting down.

"Come on, come on" she whispered to herself. "This is my last chance…Charlie's last chance!" Desperately, she tried not to look at the monitor but her eyes kept straying there as the time was counting down . One minute, she had to go faster.!

The war room was buzzing with activity. Everyone, with the exception of one person, was busy tracking another possibility and all trying not to panic as the clock was running down.

That one person stood at his accustomed position by the plasma screen, one arm crossed over his chest, his other hand covering his mouth in horror as the scene played out before him.

………………………………...

6:16 a.m. FBI Mobile Command Unit

Don stood in front of the small plasma screen in the F.B.I. mobile command unit, his team silently watching beside him. They were within a one mile radius of the broadcast but without the exact address they couldn't find him. The location was in the middle of gang territory and they didn't have the manpower or the time to become involved in an all out gang-bang.

One minute ….all they had left was one minute….._"Come on, come on, we need that address."_ Nervously running his fingers over his mouth he watched the screen in front of him.

His brother was pacing the length of the room he was in, well not exactly pacing, he was moving a lot slower than normal and had his right arm crossed over his left side and this was definitely something to worry about. He was hurt, Don just didn't know how serious his injuries were. Charlie's face appeared to be flushed but this could be due to his nervous state and he was alternately checking his watch and watching the door. It was obvious he knew how much time he had left and the anxiety was beginning to take it's toll on him. Don glanced at the figures at the bottom of the screen and the amount kept changing by the second….$19,000.000 and counting, how many sick people were bidding on his brother anyway?

Charlie slowly eased himself down to sit on the edge of the cot, resting one elbow on his knees with a fisted hand at his lips. Don could see the muscles in the young man's jaw tighten reflexively in response to his body's tension. The older man had seen his brother sit like this before and he knew what it meant. It was a habit his brother had acquired as a child and he only did it under extremely stressful conditions when he couldn't use his math to deal with the situation. His brother was doing his best not to panic but Don wasn't sure how much longer he would be able to hold on.

"_Hang on Buddy_" he whispered resisting the urge to reach out and touch his brother on the screen, "_Don't give up, were close by, we'll find you."_ As if Charlie could hear him, he lifted his head and it seemed to Don that he was looking right at him. The fear in his eyes took Don's breath away and he felt his knees go weak.

Agent Stendhouser's excited voice drew his attention "Agent Eppes, we've got the source! Professor Ramajuan will have an address in another minute. "

Don glanced at the monitor…..forty seconds…..they didn't have another minute left! He moved to the agent's side. The address was beginning to appear on her laptop, 233 Henderson street, on the east side. The site of an abandoned hotel, he recognized it as one of the ones his father had come up with from his blueprints.

Someone called out "ten seconds left" and all eyes turned to the screen. Ten….nine...eight...seven...everyone was holding their breaths, unwilling to take their eyes off the scene playing out before them...six...five...people were frozen in position...four...three...two...one...zero. The clock stopped but the money continued to accumulate for a few more seconds, finally stopping at $20,000.000 dollars.

They remained connected to the video link and watched as Charlie checked the time as he stood up and turned toward the door that was beginning to open. He started backing up toward the wall farthest from the door, his eyes opening wide in surprise and shaking his head in disbelief as his worst fears were realized…..and then he was gone.

Don froze as he stared at the blank monitor…. they had literally run "out of time."

………………………………...

6:20 a.m. FBI Headquarters

Alan stood silently in front of the plasma screen. Even though the screen was blank, the video still played out in his mind. His youngest son, backing away from a threat that Alan couldn't see. They had failed….they were too late.

It was the uncontrollable sobs of the young woman that had wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his chest that brought him back.

His fatherly instincts overrode his despair and he put one arm around her and with the other hand he gently patted her back.

"Hush…..hush now…." he whispered, as he continued to stare at the blank screen. "Don's close by…..he'll get there in time … you'll see." but his words lacked conviction, even to his own ears.

He led her to an empty conference room and there they tried to comfort one another and as his tears joined those of the woman that he had hoped to someday call his daughter, he closed his eyes and silently prayed that this latest image he had of his youngest son, would not be his last.


	7. Chapter 7

-1

A/N: All the characters and references to the show "NUMB3RS" are the property of Cheryl Heuton and Nick Fallacci, CBS and the Scott Brothers. I am not making any profit from this and no infringement is intended.

Chapter 7:

6:18 a.m. FBI Mobile Command Unit, LA East side

As the last transmission ended, a resounding gasp echoed around the small area and for an instant time seemed to stand still and then all hell broke loose.

Don pulled them all into action shouting "Let's roll! Let's roll!

The command unit pulled out onto the highway with tires squealing and lights flashing, forcing everything and everyone out of its way. Ten minutes , that's all it would take to get there, and he would get his brother back and this nightmare would be over.

The driver cut the sirens and lights and stopped a block away from their destination.

Lt Walker's gang unit and the LAPD Swat Team arrived almost simultaneously. They grabbed their gear and walked quickly to the FBI command unit . Talking quietly behind the unit they reviewed the situation.

With a nod of his head at the older man, Don asked, "Okay, Gary, what have you got?"

"My men have had the major intersections covered for a mile in all directions for the past half hour. Henderson street intersects with two of them , Washington and Harper. All connecting streets are now closed off. No vehicles have come into or left this area in the past thirty minutes." he made eye contact with Don, "It's only been ten minutes, Eppes, their still in there."

The agent held in a sigh of relief, and taking a deep breath pushed the big brother aside so he could do his job.

"We know from the video that there are at least three armed gunman and we have every reason to believe that they will shoot on sight. Remember, the hostage is the primary objective, his safety comes first. That said, I want everyone to be careful, understood?"

"My team will approach from the front. Gary, you and your guys head in from the back. Any questions? " he asked looking around at everyone. "Okay, let's do this."

Nodding to his team they all took their positions. They approached the front door and with a few hand signals they quietly entered the building. They found themselves in the main lobby and it would have been pitch black except the sun was beginning to rise and morning light was filtering in through the dirty windows. They could see the outline of a number of doors,. ..some open,…. some closed and one with the door barely hanging on it's hinges.

Giving David and Colby a signal to take the first door, he and Megan prepared to give back up if it was needed. They came out of the room quietly giving the lead agent the signal that it was okay. He and Megan took the next room, and so on until they approached the last door at the far end of the room. Before they could enter though, Don halted them and listened quietly to Walker's voice over his radio.

"We haven't seen anyone at all, well not alive anyway, found one dead body just inside the garage and a white panel van that matches the description of the one that the kidnappers used. We found the steps leading down into the basement, we'll check it out next. I'll keep you posted. Walker out."

"Roger that," the agent responded quietly. He was getting an uneasy feeling in his gut, something was off, he just wasn't sure what it was. It was just too quiet.

Motioning for his team to follow him they proceeded to the last door and as he turned the doorknob and pushed the door open about an inch, he could hear some movement coming from somewhere in the back of the room. Guns drawn they slowly crept inside the room. and staying low to the floor they peered cautiously into the darkness. There was a dim light at the rear of the room and they could see several laptops sitting on desks that were giving off some light of their own. By the morning light coming in through the windows they were able to see a man 's outline . He was putting something into a large duffel bag and even in the dim light, Don could recognize Nacio Duque and so far he was not aware of their presence.

He checked out the rest of the room., taking note of the video equipment and some high level communications gear, most of it located near the laptops. The rest of the room was filled with old cabinets, shelves and several old chairs that probably sat in the lobby at one time. He didn't see anyone else in the room so giving the signal to his team they silently moved into position.

"FBI , DROP YOUR WEAPONS!" the senior agent yelled.

Nacio turned in surprise and yelled in anger, "**No! No way you could have found me**!" He ducked down under a table pulling out his gun as he dropped to the floor. Breathing rapidly, he angrily yelled and cursed at them, firing a few rounds and then ducking under the table once again.

Don spoke quietly into the radio, "Is anyone hurt?" When everyone responded he added, "Remember, we need to take him alive, if Charlie's not here, he and Mittendorf are the only one's that can tell us where he is."

"Hey….F.B.I….are you still there?" Duque taunted them. ""I don't know how you found me but your too late…he's already gone…so I beat you anyway!

"You haven't beaten anyone. You can't keep the money and your going back to prison.

The only way you can help yourself now is to tell us where Professor Eppes has been taken." Don tried to keep his voice level and unemotional but it was becoming more difficult.

"**I am not going back to prison!" **He yelled back at them and started firing in the direction of the agents, at the same time he tried to make a break for the door. Dropping to the floor he managed to crawl under some of the furniture and in the dim light the agent's were having a difficult time trying to keep him in sight. He was within ten feet of the door when he spotted Agent Sinclair hiding behind a desk with his back toward him. He remembered this agenthe was the one who had arrested him at Disney Hall. Creeping up behind him he quietly pulled a knife from his belt and as he raised his arm to stab the agent in the back, he heard his name called out from behind him. Spinning around quickly he found himself face to face with Colby and the agent's gun was pointed right at him.

"Drop the knife! Drop it now!" the agent demanded.

At Colby's shout , David had turned around and as Duque made an unexpected lunge to stab him, a shot rang out. The latino fell to the floor, the knife dropping from his hand with a loud thud.

Don ran over and kicked the knife away and turned Duque over onto his back. Putting two fingers to his neck he checked for a pulse. He was still alive and conscious but blood was already dripping from the side of his mouth.

Desperately, the agent shouted at him "Tell me where my brother is!"

"Your brother ….is gone." His breathing was already coming in short gasps and he knew that he was dying and didn't have much time left. He decided tomake his last moments count and make the FBI agent suffer the way he was.. "He probably….wishes that…he…was…already dead." he coughed roughly and spit out a little blood.

"Why would he wish that he were dead? You son-of-a bitch! Tell me what you did to him?" emphasizing his question by grabbing Duque by the jacket and roughly shaking him.

David grabbed the agent by his arm and pulled him away from the dying man. 'Don, come on man, you can't do this."

Shaking off the younger man's arm, Don returned to kneel beside the latino.

Although it was getting harder to breathe and his voice was hardly more than a whisper, he couldn't help taunting the agent further.

"You….don't…..really….think…the…man…paid…..all….that….cash…just…for…his...brains...do...you?" he coughed and tried to swallow. "He ...couldn't keep...his… hands….off….him,." another bout of coughing followed , "probably … doing .. him .right …now." he said as he grinned up at Don..

Don eyes were cold as he looked back at the latino. "Your lying!" he said through gritted teeth. "We'll get what we need from Mittendorf. You can go to hell!"

As he started to rise, Duque grabbed his arm and with a maniacal look on his face he rasped , "Mittendorf…..is …already…waiting …for…me….there." He gave a sudden gasp for air and shuddered as his head lolled to the side, his eyes open wide and staring.

Don didn't need to check for a pulse to know that he was gone. The agent was so angry that he wanted to pound Duque's dead body until he got the answers that he needed. He shook the man's hand from his arm and stood up, turning away from his team and walking a few feet away, he needed some time to get his emotions under control. He kicked at a folding chair and sent it flying, he had to let some of his anger out. The things that the man had said kept running through his mind. Charlie in the hands of a….he couldn't even think of it. Picking up another chair, he flung it across the room.

David's quiet voice brought him back. "Don, I'm really sorry man… I just meant to stop him."

The older agent sighed and turned back to his team. "You didn't have a choice, he was going to kill you. Let's get this crime scene secured, get the forensics guys in here and start going through this stuff, there has to be something here that will lead us to the people that took my brother."

Colby spoke up as he holstered his gun. "Do you think what he said about Mittendorf was true?

Megan answered as she put her own gun away, "People don't usually lie when their dying Granger."

They heard shouts and a thunder of running feet heading for the door and turned to see Lt. Walker's team coming to back them up.

"We heard shots, you guys okay?

"Stand down, Lt." Don answered brusquely. ""Threat's been neutralized."

Walker turned to relay the message and holstering his gun, he walked over to join them.

He stopped and perused the dead body. "We found two more bodies, one was just inside the garage area, a former gang member from the tat on the back of his head. Shot in the back, probably by Duque, he has a habit of killing his partners."

"And the second?" Megan prompted.

"We found the second one in the room where they kept Charlie. A bullet to the forehead." He paused a moment and then continued. "We haven't found any signs of the professor yet but my men are still searching the rest of the hotel."

"Were too late…..he's already gone." Don bitterly remarked. He turned toward Lieutenant, his frustration and anger taking control of him. "How did they get through the road blocks, Gary? You said they had been blocked for a half an hour, it only took us ten minutes to get here. How the hell did they get out?"

"We don't know that for sure yet, Don." Colby spoke up, "He could still be in one of these rooms."

Walker stared at the lead agent. "Eppes, nothing got past that road block. My men didn't see any vehicles during that time period……I don't know how they got out." Realizing that the agent 's concern for his brother was causing him to be a little irrational he changed the subject. " I thought you would want to see the room where they kept Charlie. Come on, I'll show you where it is."

Don calmed himself down, he couldn't afford to lose control like that again. He nodded his head at Walker and told him to lead the way. The agents silently fell in line and followed him from the room.

………………………………...

6:43 a.m. Hollywood Hills

He had passed out again, he had to stop doing that. The last thing he remembered was parking in the driveway of one the huge estates up in the hills. Bashere had gotten out of the car and the big man, Michel, and climbed in to sit with him. He had no idea how long they had been sitting there, but judging from the way the sky was lightening he estimated the time around 6:43 a.m. Supposedly twenty-seven minutes after the deadline, which meant that the FBI had run out of time an hour before they even knew it.

He could hear voices and the car door opened, the big man climbed out of the car to be replaced by his captor. The car started up and soon they were moving out of the driveway.

Charlie guardedly watched the man sitting across from him. Outwardly, he looked normal enough but the young man had seen what he was capable of and it didn't take a genius to realize that he was a very dangerous man.

They had been riding for about twenty minutes and the older man had been on his cell phone the entire time making arrangements for their departure. The limo they were riding in was quite luxurious, complete with a well-stocked bar. His phone call finished, the man took some ice from a small ice bucket, put it in a glass and poured some scotch over it. Watching Charlie as he took a sip he seemed to come to a decision. Setting down his drink he leaned over and removed the gag from the young man's mouth..

"Professor, would you care for a drink? Your throat must be really dry after having this in your mouth for so long." He said indicating the scarf he held in his hand.

Clearing his throat and speaking softly, Charlie decided to try and reason with the man. "Yes, a drink would be nice, but could you untie my hands first….it really is uncomfortable and it's difficult finding a position that doesn't hurt my side with them tied behind my back like this."

With a slight smile touching his lips the man responded "I'm sure it is very uncomfortable…..and no I will not untie you….not yet anyway….but I can hold the glass to your lips." he said indicating the glass in his hand.

Charlie shook his head slightly from side to side…no…in answer to his question and a few curls fell forward over his eyes. Tossing his head to clear his vision, he stared defiantly at his captor. He didn't want the man near him….as it was….he was way too close to him. Sensing this, the man scooted over in his seat until he was sitting directly across from the professor. He leaned forward until their knees were touching and gave the young man no choice but to look him directly in the eye.

The close proximity of this man was making his skin crawl, there was something about him, something that was sending off warning signals to his brain, something feral…..almost predatory. Although, the man's eyes were brown, like Charlie's own eyes, they were cold and void of any kind of emotion……except…._anticipation_? He had never seen eyes like these before. He remembered a mid-sixteenth century proverb that he had once read….._how did it go?….oh, yeah, it said that eyes were the window to the soul. _Staring into the eyes of this man he thought, _"If that was truth, then this man had lost his soul a very long time ago….if he ever had one to begin with."_ This realization struck terror in his heart and he looked away not wanting the man to see the fear in his own eyes.

"Perhaps I should introduce myself. My name is Henri Bashere. I am a collector….I collect rare and unusual objects." He spoke slowly and amicably, as if they were having a friendly conversation of mutual consent. "My assets have allowed me to enjoy this avocation of mine. It is a hobby that I have grown increasingly passionate about over the years….to know that I and I alone have something that no one else can ever attain….that it is mine until I no longer desire it. I have quite an extensive collection Professor, but you are my first live acquisition." He paused momentarily to add more ice to his drink, gazing at Charlie he lifted his glass in a toast "I believe you will be my most challenging and desirable addition…..how fortunate for me that I was here for this marvelous opportunity."

"**No one owns me**!" the young man yelled defiantly turning back to face Bashere, anger replacing the fear that he had felt only moments before. "You won't get away with this, I know that the F.B.I. is already looking for me, so it's only a matter of time before they catch you. If you were really as smart as you think you are, you would release me now!"

The man's demeanor changed in an instant to one of rage and he lunged forward, knocking his drink to the floor. He pushed the young man back in the seat as far as he could go and grabbed his chin forcing him to maintain eye contact.

The sudden movement caused Charlie to flinch and cry out in agony as he tried to shift is body away from the man causing his side to flare from a dull ache to a sharp, stabbing pain. Closing his eyes and taking rapid breaths until the pain subsided , he reopened them only to find himself almost nose to nose with the man. Twirling one of the young man's curls in his other hand his captor leered at him and leaned even closer…whispering in his ear. "You are mine professor….mind and body…your soul you may keep…. for as long as you wish to keep it."

Gently releasing him he sat back in his seat and pulling a clean glass from the bar area, he calmly prepared himself another drink.

Barely suppressing a shudder, Charlie's eyes widened in horror as he realized the full implication of the man's statement, he felt his heart start to race and he struggled desperately to get his hands free. After several minutes, he could feel the blood running down his hands from his efforts.. He stopped trying to get them loose and looked over at the man.

Bashere was watching him and appeared to be mildly amused at his efforts to get free and toasted him once again with his drink.

Charlie turned his head to face the side window . The windows were darkly tinted but he could still see the streetlights as they passed them by. He had to calm down… get his thoughts together. His head still hurt so maybe that had somehow effected his hearing because he couldn't have heard what he thought the man had just said. Leaning his forehead against the cool glass, he closed his eyes and with a sinking heart he accepted the fact that he knew , without a doubt , what the man's true intentions were.


	8. Chapter 8

-1A/N: All the characters and references to the show "NUMB3RS" are the property of Cheryl Heuton and Nick Fallacci, CBS and the Scott Brothers. I am not making any profit from this and no infringement is intended. However, Bashere and his thugs are my own fictional creations.

Chapter 8:

Don and his team followed Lt. Walker back down the hallway until they came to a set of stairs going down to the basement level. The officer waved them on ahead saying he was going back to check on the rest of his team. They descended two flights of stairs and found a police officer stationed outside the room.

Giving a nod to the officer, Don entered the room with his team closely behind him. It was so familiar to them after seeing it so many times on the videos. However, there were two things that were different. First, and foremost, Charlie was no longer there, and second, there was a dead body lying on the floor. There was a ski mask covering the man's face but it couldn't hide the bullet hole in his forehead.

Don pulled a pair of latex gloves from his pocket and put them on. He knelt down by the body and pulled the mask up far enough to see the man's face and immediately recognized Carl Mittendorf.

"Dam it! he exclaimed as he stood up. Pacing around the small room he let out a few more expletives and curses. "If both of them are dead how in the hell are we supposed to find Charlie?" He ran a hand through his hair and shook his head. "Man, we need a break here." He caught sight of the video camera and turned back to his team.

"Megan, get Stendhauser upstairs and have her check out the laptop that the camera was uploading through.. If Duque still had it running, we just might get a look at the guys that took Charlie and maybe some I P addresses for those bastards. One of them has my brother and were going to get him back."

"On my way Don." she answered as she quickly left the room.

"David, Colby check around outside, maybe someone saw something, take some of Walker's men with you. It's not likely that anyone in the neighborhood will help us out but it's worth a shot."

"Let's go man." David said, as he was heading out the door with Colby right on his heels.

Don was alone now and walked to the wall that the equation had been written on. He lightly touched one of the remaining numbers, a chalk number that his brother had put on the wall. He turned slowly and looked around the room. A shirt was laying in a crumpled pile on the floor next to the table and a blazer was hanging over the chair. Spotting a red stain on the shirt, "_Charlie's shirt…. evidence now," _he bent down to pick it up. Some parts of the shirt were wet and covered with blood, but he couldn't find any holes or tears in the shirt "_so where did the blood come from?"_ He looked back at the wall and studied the dried blood "_Charlie's blood.". _It was located where his brother's head would be if he had been standing there._ "Some kind of head injury…. maybe a concussion? _That would explain why he had been unconscious for a while. That must have been what happened. Someone had thrown him against the wall and he had hit his head hard enough to make it bleed. On closer inspection he could see where something had smeared the chalk straight down from the blood _"so he hit the wall and slid down to the floor. Did Mittendorf do that to you bro?" _He glanced at the dead body but could only feel anger and hatred toward the man.

He walked to the cot and sat down in the same spot his brother had been sitting in when he last saw him. Leaning forward he put his elbows on his knees and rubbed his hands over his face. "_How do I find you now, Buddy. Where do I go from here.?" _There had to be a way to find him, he just needed to figure it out.

………………………………...

"Man, this is a total waste of time." David grumbled as he and Colby were told by yet another gang member that they hadn't heard or seen anything. "You know they saw what happened….nothing happens in this neighborhood without them knowing all about it …they just won't to talk to us."

"Thirty minutes wasted!" a frustrated Colby muttered. "If just one of them would tell us what they know"….his voiced trailed off and he stopped so suddenly that David had to quickly step to the side to keep from running into him.

Alarmed, David reached for his holster, "What is it……what did you see?"

Colby placed a hand on his partner's arm to stop him from drawing his weapon, "No, it's okay, I just got an idea…crap…I should have thought of this a long time ago."

Pulling out his cell phone, he scrolled down his list of numbers and finding the one he wanted he hit send and glanced over at his partner. Seeing the puzzled expression on his face the agent couldn't help but grin at him, "I've been saving this call for a rainy day." His attention was drawn back to the phone and his tone became all professional as he began talking with the other party.

David's eyebrows rose when he heard who Colby was talking too and just listening to his partner's side of the conversation he felt his hopes begin to rise a little, there just might be a chance after all.

Agent Granger finished his call and turned to his partner. "All we can do now is wait and hope that something develops from the call. There isn't anything else we can do out here."

Nodding in agreement, his partner turned around and they headed back inside to join the rest of their team.

………………………………...

"Don, you need to come back up to the main room….there's something here that you have to see." Meagan's voice called over his radio.

"Roger that, I'll be right up. Send the forensic guys down here right away, there have to some prints here that will tell us something." That said, he took one last look around and headed for the door.

The coroner was the first thing he spotted as he entered the room and he was in the process of checking out Duque's body. He paused long enough to greet him and let him know about the other two bodies downstairs., then spotting Megan he headed over in her direction. David and Colby were back and were standing beside Agent Stendhauser. She was sitting at one of the two laptops and discussing something with Lt. Walker and Megan, so he hurried over to see what they had found.

Not one for small talk, he got right to the point. "Yeah, what have you got?"

"Agent Eppes, we've got the entire twenty-four hours on DVR. More importantly, we can see what happened when the door opened. I've fast forwarded to 5:15 a.m. so we can see what took place."

"Why 5:15.…6:15 was out last transmission?"

Looking up at him she shook her head, "No sir, our last transmission was the 5:15 video. They fudged our timeline and gave themselves an hour's head start."

"Dam them!" the agent spat out.

"That would certainly explain how they got through the roadblock. They were in and out before we even set up." Walker commented.

"Yeah, I guess it does, Gary." the agent responded. He turned back to the technician, "Have you watched it yet?"

"No sir, we thought you should be here when we did."

"Okay, let's take a look."

The scene took up where they had left off, the door opened and his brother was backing up to the wall. An armed masked man entered the room, looked at the professor and turned toward the door.

"Come on in, you wanted a closer look at him."

The agents had become so accustomed to the silent videos they had been receiving that when they heard the man speak the sound startled them. Duque's voice was easily recognizable.

A tall well dressed man entered the room, easily six foot . He was a Caucasian with reddish brown hair and graying a little at the temples. He stopped just inside the doorway letting his eyes roam around the room and only stopping when they came to rest on Charlie. Tilting his head slightly to the side he looked the young man up and down in an appraising manner and slowly advanced toward him.

Two more men entered and stood on each side of the man, one of them carrying a large satchel in one hand and a handgun in the other. The other man, an extremely large man, was carrying a 9mm Glock that looked like a toy in his hand and finally a fifth man entered, this one wearing a ski mask and also armed.

There was no doubt who the boss was in this group, the two larger men deferred to him and were probably his bodyguards. It was obvious the masked men were Duque and Mittendorf, still trying to hide their identities. They all advanced forward and formed a semi-circle around the young man.

The man in charge continued to move until he was only a few feet directly in front of Charlie and spoke to him. His voice was so low that the agents couldn't hear what he had said but whatever it was it caused his brother's expression to quickly change from fear to anger and his answer was loud and clear.

"Stay away from me!" he spat out angrily.

Ignoring his outburst, the man stretched his hand out to touch the young man's face, his voice became louder as he stated "There's no reason to get hostile, Professor."

"I said….don't touch me!" emphasizing his words by pushing the man's hand away from him.

Disbelief was etched across his brother's features. "I don't believe this, I've been kidnapped, held in this place for twenty-four hours, put up for auction, threatened, beaten and now some idiot thinks he has just bought me and you want me to do….what?…greet you with open arms?" he finished angrily.

The young professor's triad seemed to amuse the man more than anger him and he stretched his hand out once again to touch him.

Charlie slapped the man's hand away before he could make contact, "I said…. stay away from me! Don't touch me!" he yelled.

"I had hoped that we could do this in a civilized manner, given your education, but I suppose we will just have to do it the old-fashioned way." Turning to the man on his right, "Michel, I believe we need to calm the young man down."

The larger of the two men moved forward and they were able to get a better look at him.

His head almost touched the ceiling and he had the largest hands that Don had ever seen, yet they were in proportion with his size.

Don watched helplessly as the man confronted his brother. Charlie fought with him, punching and kicking at him but in the end, the sheer size and strength of the man was against him.

He grabbed the professor and wrapped his arms around his waist and lifted him completely off of the floor. Charlie kicked the man again and was desperately trying to pull the man's arms off him while shouting at him at the same time.

"Let go….of…me! he panted. "Let….go!"

Suddenly he cried out in pain and as they watched all the color seemed to drain from his face and he went limp in the man's arms….bent at the waist with his head and arms dangling downward in the air. He looked like a rag doll in the big man's arms.

"Michel, what did you do? You were only supposed to subdue him, not hurt him!" The older man demanded.

"Boss….honest….I didn't hurt him, I was just trying to hold him still. I don't know what happened." the big man cried out defensively.

"Lay him down……carefully now…..something made him pass out. Phillipe, keep a close eye on our friends over there."

With a nod of his head the other man stepped back to keep a clear view of the two masked men.

Don held his hand over his mouth as he watched them lower his unconscious brother to the floor and an anguished "_NO!" _escaped from his lips.

The leader began to check Charlie for injuries. He ran his fingers over the back of his head and discovered the cut he had received a few hours earlier,

"What is this….how did this happen? " He asked the two masked men standing silently before him. Before they could answer he spoke his own thoughts out loud. "This isn't what made him cry out in pain though, there must be another injury."

He pulled up the professor's shirt and cursed both of the masked men. "So, you did beat him…he was telling the truth. From the look of these bruises, he may have a few broken ribs. No wonder he passed out when you held him Michel, the pain must have been excruciating."

"Michel, hand me that bottled water." he ordered, nodding toward the table.

The big man immediately retrieved the bottle and handed it to his boss.

Duque was getting impatient, "Let's finish this. Give us our money and he's all yours."

Twisting the lid off the bottle, the man responded without looking up at them. "Shut up! You should have thought of that before you injured him. You wouldn't be trying to sell me damaged goods, would you?"

Holding Charlie's head up, he pressed the bottled water to his lips and poured some of it into his mouth. The young man coughed and tried to get his breath. His eyes remained closed but he was beginning to wake up.

Don watched as the man ran his fingers through his brother's curls and then ever so gently along the side of his face and across his lips. The gesture reminded him too much of someone touching his lover and he knew with a certainty what this man's intentions were. He also knew that he had to get Charlie away from him before it came to fruition.

The young man was starting to wake up, he hadn't opened his eyes yet, but he was batting away the hand that was touching his face. His eyes fluttered open but he appeared to be having a problem focusing and he brought his hand up to rub his eyes. He sat up with some help from the man kneeling beside him and then tried to stand, his right arm crossing his left side protectively. Standing up also required assistance, which the man eagerly gave by sliding an arm around his waist, carefully avoiding the injured ribs, to help hold him up.

Don could see the confusion on his brother's face as he was trying to focus on what was happening to him, trying to put the events in some kind of logical order so they would make sense to him, but he couldn't see what his older brother was seeing. All Don could see was the sexual predator that had an arm around his younger brother and he could clearly see the desire on the man's face as he helped him to his feet. As they watched, he reluctantly released his hold on the young man and handed him over to the other two men, each one taking an arm to hold on to and Charlie too dazed to resist.

After relinquishing his hold on Charlie the leader turned to face the two masked men . Don had faced a lot of men but this guy made his blood run cold. His face seemed to lack any kind of emotion and his voice was incredibly calm, as if he were just talking about the weather.

"Whose handy work is this….which one of you beat him?" he asked in a voice that was deceptively calm.

The taller of the two men shrugged his shoulders and casually stated "I didn't hurt him that much, I just lost my temper, that's all. It's no big deal, chill out."

"No big deal," he mimicked the other man. "Well, it is a big deal and this is going to cost you. I will only pay $15,000.000 instead of twenty because he has been damaged."

"We had a deal, you can't do that!" Duque shouted angrily.

"Yes, we did have a deal, one that you broke. I'm a business man, after all, and his condition now requires medical attention, which is more expense for me. You should have thought of that before you injured him." he answered in a calm voice.

Mittendorf was losing his temper again, "Who do you think you are fooling, man. I saw how you looked at him, you want him anyway, so pay up!"

A smile crossed the man's face but it never touched his eyes, they remained cold and calculating. "It would bring me extreme pleasure to give you exactly what you deserve."

he said as he pulled a small hand gun from his jacket pocket and before anyone could react he fired and put a bullet in the angry man's forehead. Carl Mittendorf fell backward and lay spread eagle on the floor.

Duque immediately brought his own gun around but did not fire, he now had three guns aimed at him.

"I wouldn't do anything rash if I were you. I still intend to give you the money, minus the five million of course. After all, I do have my reputation to consider. Are we in agreement? He tilted his head at his adversary and waited for an answer.

The masked man slowly nodded his head…yes in agreement, but kept his own gun trained on the leader of the group.

"Excellent" he answered, "Philippe, remove five million from the bag and pay the man for our purchase." Addressing Duque again "That should be more than enough for you…now that you don't have to share it with anyone."

Nacio Duque was not a stupid man, he knew when he was overmatched,. Glancing down at his partner's body, he remarked. "I didn't like him anyway….just needed his expertise in certain areas. I don't have a problem with $15,000.00."

Philippe finished removing the money and tossed the bag to Duque. He put the remainder of the money in his coat pockets.

The leader stared coldly at the latino and said, "Our business is finished here, you have your money and I have what I wanted." Happily rubbing his hands together, the man turned back to his men, eager to be on his way.

"Tie his hands behind his back, I don't really believe the professor is in any condition to offer much resistance but I've no intention of underestimating a genius."

Pulling a rope from his pocket , Michel proceeded to tie Charlie's hands. He didn't resist, he appeared to be in shock, still staring at Mittendorf's body on the floor. His attention was only diverted when the boss pulled a scarf from his pocket and tied it around his mouth gagging him from making any further comment.

"We can't have you calling out for help either, now can we?" he asked as he patted him gently on the cheek.

"Gentlemen, I believe we are finished here." he said as he moved to Charlie's right and replaced the bodyguard that was holding the young man's arm.

They left the room, Charlie supported by his captor and Philippe, with the other man covering their departure.

Duque gripped the bag and left the room without even giving Mittendorf a second thought.

………………………………...

They all stood in silence as Agent Stendhouser clicked off the video. All were in shock after witnessing the events on the monitor.

Clearing her throat, the petite agent spoke quietly. "That's it sir, nothing else appears on the video."

The senior agent didn't respond, he just stood there staring at the blank screen, his fists were balled up at his side and his face was almost as pale as his brother's had been.

"Don?" Megan asked, there was a tremor in her voice, it was difficult seeing her young friend in a situation like that. When he didn't answer she put her hand on his shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze and repeated "Don?"

He turned his head and made eye contact with her, she could see the pain and turmoil in his brown eyes. He looked away and whispered "We have to find him before….before anything else happens to him." It was more of a plea than a statement.

An awkward silence descended upon them as they stood beside the blank monitor. It wasn't necessary for the agent to explain what he meant, they all understood what was in store for their young friend .

David broke the silence, "Man, that guy was cold, he didn't even flinch when he killed Mittendorf. ' he paused and then added " Charlie didn't look good, I think he was in shock."

"Yeah, I thought so too" Colby admitted. "Do you think that man was serious about getting him some medical attention?"

"Agent Granger, I think that he was very serious about that, but for all of the wrong reasons." Lt Walker drawled with a sympathetic look at Don.

"Megan, what's your take on this guy?" Don asked with a touch of desperation in his voice.

She sighed and pulled her hair back, she really didn't want to tell him, but she had no choice. "There's no doubt that he has a psychopathic personality," she hesitated momentarily, "with homosexual tendencies."

The agent looked away, "Yeah, I got that part." He cleared his throat and spoke in a more professional tone.

"Okay, we know what they look like, let's find out who they are. Get photographs of these men to the airports, border crossings, train stations, anywhere they can take him out of this country. Transmit those photos to headquarters, maybe they can find a match in our database. We need a name for that man and we need it now!" he said as he slammed his fist on the desk with such intensity that some objects went tumbling to the floor. He looked at his watch, 7:45 a.m. "They have a two and a half hour lead on us and we don't even know who they are!"

Turning his attention back to the technical agent, he asked "Can you trace all of the transmissions that Duque received from the bidders?"

"We can find out who their IP's are and get the home addresses from there. I'll get on it right away." she immediately started working at the keyboard.

………………………………...

The LAPD officer paused in the doorway and looked around the room. Motioning for the two men to follow him as he moved into the room where the FBI had set up its command post, he worked his way around all the people and equipment to get to Lt. Walker and the agent in charge of the operation.

Acknowledging his lieutenant with a nod of his head, he turned his attention to the agents.

Pointing to the two men behind him he said "They have a message for Agent Granger, it's about the kidnapping." He stepped aside so the men were clearly visible to everyone.

They found themselves facing two gang members from the area., both latinos and in their early twenties.

Colby took a step forward. "I'm Granger, you have something for me?"

The two men stood quietly for a moment, then one stepped forward. and said "Che Lobo sends his regards."


	9. Chapter 9

-1A/N: All the characters and references to the show "NUMB3RS" are the property of Cheryl Heuton and Nick Fallacci, CBS and the Scott Brothers. I am not making any profit from this and no infringement is intended. However, Bashere and his thugs are my own fictional creations.

Thank you for your reviews.

Chapter 9:

Pain was radiating from his side and although he had tried shifting his weight it did little to alleviate the agony. Charlie let his head fall back against the seat and closed his eyes.

There had to be some way out of this…he was smart…he just had to think this situation through, that's all…maybe figure out someway to stall for time until Don caught up to them. His life just couldn't end up this way, not like this…with…with…this maniac. It was unnerving how the man just sipped his drink and stared at him, like he was some kind of prize or rare artifact that he had just acquired.

_How do you reason with someone like that? I wish I had Megan's input here, she really knows how to read people. I wonder how she would deal with this type of person….would she feed his ego? No, I can't do that, it would just encourage him to do what he wants. Defiance just sets him off and I would like to avoid that if I can. Maybe I can make him understand….yeah, the probability of that happening is like ten million to one. I wish he wouldn't stare at me so much."_

He took a steadying breath and silently prayed that Don and this team would find him before it was too late.

………………………………...

Don was pacing again and every few minutes he would check his watch. _"Come on…..come on!"_ He was running out of patience. Finally, a break in the case and all they were waiting for now was a name and an address.

The information that the gang members had given Colby had paid off. Nothing less than the license number of the limo that had taken his brother away. Agent Stendhouser was at this very moment tracking down the owner of the vehicle. They knew it was the right car; the informants had described it's occupants in great detail, right down to the curly-haired prisoner they had taken with them.

"Agent Eppes!" an excited voice called out. "I'm getting something now!"

The agent and his team rushed over to the technician's side and eagerly surrounded her.

"The limo's a rental, belongs to the Los Pedros Marina at Port Angeles."

"Good work." He turned quickly to Megan and said. " Get them on the phone and make them understand that time is of the essence. Somehow you've got to convince them to give us the info over the phone, we just don't have time to go for a warrant."

"David, you and Colby get a helicopter out here and I mean fast. If they are headed back to the marina, they've already got a big head start on us and we'll need that chopper to beat them there."

"Come on David, let's go." Colby called out as he headed out of the room.

"Don…Don!" Megan called out excitedly. "We've got him, we know who he is!" she was practically jumping up and down and the older agent narrowly avoided a collision with the coroner as he hurried over to her side.

"The marina e-mailed us the name of the people that leased the limo. It was leased by a company called Bashere Imports, it's based in France. The owner is one Henri Bashere and Don look at his picture!"

Don grabbed the photo. "It's him, he's the one that took Charlie!"

"Yes, and listen to this, he has a yacht docked in the harbor at Port Angeles and according to the harbor master's manifest the ship sets sail at 10:00 a.m. this morning. Don, that doesn't leave us much time, if he gets that yacht out in international waters, we won't be able to touch him!"

"That's not going to happen." he said grimly. "Stendhouser, get on the horn, we need a warrant and we need it fast. E-mail it to the Los Pedros P.D. and have them meet us at the marina but make sure they stay out of sight until we get there. Find out who the Police Chief is and patch him through to the chopper. I want to talk to him personally, we can't afford any slip ups."

"Reeves" the pretty agent responded to her radio. "Roger that, were on our way."

"Don, that was Sinclair, everything is ready and the teams are standing by."

They hurried outside and climbed into the helicopter to join the other agents. Moments later the blades began to turn and soon they were in the air eager to get to the Port of Los Angeles.

………………………………...

Opening his eyes again, Charlie noticed that the lights had been turned up a little higher.

Bashere was looking at some photos and paperwork in a manila folder. He was still sipping his drink but was immersed in the material that he was reading.

"Have you changed your mind about that drink Professor?" he asked without looking up from the documents.

"Have you changed your mind about releasing my hands? Charlie countered.

This time the man did look up, a slight smile forming on his lips. "No, I haven't."

"Then I suppose that I haven't either." the young man replied.

He decided to try and reason with the man again. "You appear to be a very intelligent man, obviously very wealthy and well traveled. I am curious as to why you would risk it all on a kidnapping. It isn't a logical decision you know, the risk is not worth the gain here. I could calculate the odds for you, if your interested."

Getting no response he decided on another tactic. "I will not use my mathematical abilities to help you in any way….and just so were clear on this issue….I am planning to marry my girlfriend."

Ignoring the young man's statement, the older man merely asked "Now it's my turn to be curious Professor."

Pulling some photos from the folder, he held them up so the mathematician could see them. The pictures were of Charlie writing the equations on the wall of the room where he had been held.

"What do these equations mean? I have some mathematical expertise myself, but I must confess, I couldn't quite grasp what you were working on."

"Just equations…..sometimes….the numbers come too fast," he answered "and I need to work them out. They wouldn't mean anything to anyone else…until I finish with them and explain it to them."

Bashere sorted through the paperwork in his lap and pulled one from the stack

"Duque provided me with a short biography of you and it states in here that when you were three years old you could multiply four digit numbers in your head. Is this true?" he asked looking up, excitement in his eyes.

Charlie shrugged his shoulders and nodded his head in affirmation. These type of questions always made him feel self-conscious and he really didn't want to tell this man very much about himself.

"You are amazing….this is truly remarkable." he murmured and took another sip of his drink, smiling at the young man. "You have courage…I like that, plus your incredible mind and your pleasing countenance. You are a rare find indeed. It was lucky for me that I happened to be in the area when you were put up for sale."

"I am not some commodity that can be bought and sold!" Charlie interrupted him, his eyes flashing angrily, "I am a person…no one owns me…call it what it is…kidnapping!"

"Ah…the passion of youth and righteousness. We seem to share a difference of opinion, don't we?" Slowly running his fingers over his lips he added "This promises to be a very entertaining relationship."

The young man refused to back down, anger fueled his courage….the audacity of this man…for the first time in his life, he really wanted to hit someone, he wanted to punch that sickening smile right off of this man's face..

"You don't listen very well do you? I said that I…am….not…gay!" the last word coming out as a yell, his anger taking total control of him. He was trembling with his rage now and his expressive brown eyes would have killed Bashere if that were possible

He tried again to get his hands loose but that only resulted in the ropes rubbing against the raw wounds that were already there and the pain that flared up in his side from the effort was so bad that he couldn't suppress a moan escaping from his lips.

His captor was undaunted by his words and merely refilled his glass.

Focusing his attention back to the professor he recognized the defiant look in the young man's eyes and the stubborn set of his jaw, and said. "Your right, I am a very wealthy man, my dear boy, and I have many drugs at my disposal, drugs that will make you do anything that I want you to do."

He set his glass down and opened a brief case that was on the seat next to him and produced a small box; opening it he held it so that Charlie could see the syringe and small vial that lay inside.

"This particular drug is just a sedative. I thought I might need it to keep you under control but it has proven to be unnecessary because of your injuries." He snapped it shut and returned it to the case.

A shudder coursed through Charlie's body, "Drugs…..drugs…..will destroy my mind." he replied his voice fading to a whisper.

"Then you have a choice to make Professor. You must decide what is more important to you….your exceptional mind or your virtue, because I assure you that I will get what I want….I always do."

"How can you be this way? How can you do this to me or be like this to anyone? Don't you feel any remorse for what you are doing? " Charlie asked, desperately trying to reach the man on some compassionate level.

"I don't care about your feelings Professor. The only thing that is important to me is me and nothing else matters." he answered , in a voice that was bereft of any emotion at all. "My family never truly understood that, they thought doctor's could change how I felt about things, but they were wrong."

"You have a family?" Charlie tentatively asked, thinking they maybe he might be able to reach him this way.

"Had a family, Professor. When I was eighteen my parents decided that I was mentally ill and that I needed to be sent somewhere to be taken care of. My older brother agreed with them. Wait a minute,…you have an older brother too, don't you? It says so in the biography. There, you see, we do have something in common." He smiled at Charlie, but it never reached his eyes.

The young man cleared his throat, "Had, you said had a family. What happened to them?"

"Well, I couldn't let them send me away, now could I? There was an unfortunate fire and they all perished." he casually stated.

Charlie was at a loss for words. Was the man really saying what he thought he was saying? Did he kill his own family? He had to be careful here, Bashere was watching him, gauging his reaction

"I'm …..ah…..I'm sorry for your loss." he said quietly.

The older man smiled at him and continued on, "Of course, as the only remaining heir, I got everything and that made me extremely rich and very, very happy. Are you and your brother…ah," he quickly scanned the paper in his hand, "ah, here it is, Don….are you and Don very close?"

Bashere was waiting for an answer, so he just commented, "Yes, we are."

"Well, that's just too bad, isn't it?"

Charlie asked, "Why do you say it like that?"

"It's simple, he will never know what happened to you. He'll probably spend the rest of his life wondering where his little brother is; never even knowing if your dead or alive."

The young man was speechless; he had never met anyone so cruel in his life. The man spoke as if his last statement was nothing more important than discussing what they were going to have for lunch.

"The FBI should have started searching for you by now, the twenty-four hour waiting period was up an hour ago. That will still give us plenty of time because it will take them several hours to close up the harbor. We'll be safely in international waters by the time they check the seaport."

The change of subject caught Charlie's attention. Apparently, Duque had kept a few things out of that biography. Bashere was not aware that the FBI had been working on the case from the beginning…. maybe that would work in his favor.

"I shall have to disguise you in some fashion. You are well known Professor and can be easily recognized by too many people."

Bashere crossed his arms and raised one hand to his chin, as if he were studying a painting and trying to decide where to hang it.

Suddenly, he snapped his fingers and asked, "Have you ever considered changing your hair color?" Without waiting for a response he continued. "I think a light blonde shade would really look nice on you. Of course, I suppose we could cut your hair, but I really do adore those luscious locks of yours. If you are not going to offer any input I will just have to make all of the decisions myself."

Charlie swallowed hard as he realized that he would find no compassion in this man. He was sitting directly across from someone who had never experienced any kind of remorse for any decision that he had ever made. Bashere had to be a certified psychopath.

They grew quiet and sat in silence, neither one wanting to carry on the conversation any longer.

Bashere returned to his drink and alternately stared at him and looked through the photos he had on the seat beside him..

Charlie returned his stare for a few moments, trying to find a sign…..any sign…. of compassion, but finally gave up and closed his eyes. The man's eyes were too unsettling, he couldn't look at them anymore.

If only he could wake up from this nightmare. _"I can't let this happen, there must be something I can do to get free. Okay, I need to look at this logically. If I assign certain values to the data, then I should be able to make a logical conclusion. Now all I have to do is review the data (1) I'm a prisoner. (2) I can't communicate with anyone . (3) My hands are tied. and I'm injured. (4) The man is insane and won't listen to reason. (5) He's a pompous ass!! (6) Don and his team don't know who I am with and they don't know where to look. (7) We are headed in the direction of the Los Angeles Seaport….the most likely way to leave the country unnoticed . _

_On the positive side, (1) The FBI has been on the case from the beginning. (2). My brother is in charge of the case and he won't stop looking for me."_

With a heavy heart, he sighed _"The odds are balancing in his favor. There is only one solution….if I have no other way out…..I will have to eliminate myself from this equation at the very first opportunity….before he can use any drugs. Come on Don, I know you'll figure this out…I know you'll find me, but please hurry…. and forgive me if you get here too late. I know you'll understand, you and Dad, because I can't live the life that this man has planned for me.." _

Arriving at this conclusion, he felt some of the tension leave his body because his "numbers" had found a way out for him…his "numbers" had never let him down.


	10. Chapter 10

-1A/N: All the characters and references to the show "NUMB3RS" are the property of Cheryl Heuton and Nick Falacci, CBS and the Scott Brothers. I am not making any profit from this and no infringement is intended.

I appreciate your reviews.

Chapter 10:

The Port of Los Angeles is located on San Pedro Bay in the San Pedro neighborhood of Los Angeles. The port complex occupies 7,500 acres of land and water along 43 miles of waterfront. It is the busiest port in the entire United States.

On any other day, Dr. Charles Edward Eppes, upon finding himself at this location , would gladly explain the logistics involved in running a complex this size. For example, he could tell you the total operating revenue was $351.5 million dollars or that the annual container volume was 7.3 million TEU's, or that the Cruise Traffic equaled 1.10 million passengers.

On any other day, the Professor enjoyed visiting this site….but not today. Today he longed to be in Pasadena.; he wanted nothing more than to be sitting in his own home enjoying the company of his father and his brother.

Someone else had taken control of his life today and he had not been given any choice in the matter.

Charlie had been watching the street signs and they were headed toward the south-facing San Pedro Bay area, the site of the Los Pedros Marina. This marina was the most popular one for the rich and famous who came into the LA area. It housed all of the up-scale yachts and ships. The yachts that had to stay far out at anchor and have their goods and passengers ferried to shore or risk running aground.

The young man's heart sank as the car made the turn for the entrance to the marina.

………………………………...

The Port of Los Angeles is an impressive site, especially from an aerial perspective.

On any other day, Special Agent Don Eppes might be called to the area to check for security risks or to check out reports of terrorists that might be trying to get into the harbor.

On any other day, the agent would be eager to just do his job…..but not today. Today he longed to be in Pasadena; he wanted nothing more than to be visiting with his father and his brother.

Someone else had taken control of his life today and he had not been given any choice in the matter.

Don looked through the binoculars at the area below. Forty-three miles of coastline was a big area to cover but at least they knew the destination of the men that had taken his brother and they were trying to beat them to the location.

At this very moment they were waiting for confirmation that the ship was still in the harbor. According to the Port Authority the ship had changed it's departure time to 9:00 a.m. but they had not received an actual confirmed sighting and until they did, the agent hadn't been able to form a complete rescue plan.

Don checked his watch again, 8:39, this was going to be close. His eyes followed Megan as she rapidly took notes from a phone conversation that she was having with Agent Stendhauser and he was hopeful that she was finding out something useful.

Agent Reeves finished her conversation and quietly reviewed her notes. The more information they had on Bashere, the better the chances of getting Charlie out of there in one piece.

"Did she give you anything you can use?" Don asked loudly, it was hard to talk over the noise of the rotors.

"She didn't have much time to do a deep search, just sort of scratched the surface. You'll never believe what he named his yacht…although it does fit his personality" she commented as she read through her notes.

Colby piped up with a question. "So, are you going to tell us what he named the boat?"

David grinned at her, "You might as well tell him, he won't shut up until you do."

Megan rolled her eyes at Don, and in spite of the situation, his own lips inched into a crooked smile.

"Well, so what did he call it?" he asked.

"The Imperious." she said.

"That's no surprise." David scoffed. "He certainly acts like he's a roman emperor."

"Talk about your delusions of grandeur." snorted Colby.

"Yeah, but there's more." She frowned as she went on. "He inherited a fortune the day he turned eighteen. His entire family burned to death in a house fire the night of his birthday." She looked up at the older agent. "The police suspected that he was involved, but never uncovered any proof, so the investigation was dropped."

"Megan, you don't think he will negotiate with us, do you.?" he asked. "You think he'll kill Charlie before he'll set him free."

The profiler returned his gaze and sadly commented. "He's a psychopath, Don. In his mind, Charlie belongs to him and he will kill him before he lets anyone take him away. I believe our only chance will be to take Bashere out before he can do that."

The agent's radio came to life. "Eppes." he responded.

"Okay, I'll hold on." He looked up at his team. "It's the Coast Guard, they're almost at the marina, we'll know in a few minutes if were too late." He felt a lump growing in his throat and he turned his gaze to the side window desperately hoping to see a certain ship still anchored in the harbor.

………………………………...

The car coming to a complete stop brought Charlie out of his musings. Looking through the dark tinted windows he could see people working on some of the boats; not the owners, of course, they would be sleeping in a luxurious hotel somewhere waiting for the hired help to get the ships stocked and ready for sailing.

"_There are people on those boats, all I have to do is to get one of them to call the police. I just have to figure out the best way to get their attention." _He looked closer at the ships trying to find the ones that had people moving about them.

Bashere was busy gathering his things together; once he had them ready, he glanced over at his companion.

"When we exit the car you will no doubt see a few people on the dock; even this early in the morning you'll always find someone around. I've decided not to gag you this time, however, you are not to talk to anyone or try and bring attention to yourself in any way. If you do, I will instruct my men to kill them and I am sure that you wouldn't want that on your conscience. Have I made myself clear Professor?"

Charlie's hopes of getting help when he got out sank instantly. He had no doubt that his captor would carry out his threat and he wouldn't let himself become responsible for the loss of someone's life. He swallowed hard and nodded his head that he understood.

The passenger door opened and Michel motioned for him to get out of the car. Charlie slowly scooted his way to the edge of the seat; it wasn't easy with his hands still tied behind his back and his side aching at every movement.

The big man was surprisingly gentle as he helped him get out of the car.

As he straightened up he squinted at the sunlight; his eyes unaccustomed to the light after twenty-four hours in the basement room. The morning air felt cool and refreshing to him and he just wanted to stand there and relish it's touch.

As his eyes adjusted to the light he could see a few people around the dock area preparing the boats for a day of fun out on the water. If only he could contact one of them but Bashere's words echoed in his mind and he knew it was a risk that he couldn't take.

Charlie was still standing by the open door when the older man came around the back of the car to join them. As he approached them he removed the jacket that he was wearing and when he was close enough he draped it around Charlie's shoulders effectively hiding his tied hands from view.

"Look out in the harbor Professor. That rather large yacht is going to be your new home for a while. Sailing to France will take us a few months but that should give us plenty of time to get to know one another. I know I am looking forward to it."

Charlie swallowed the bile that was forming in his throat at the man's words. He ignored him and turned his attention to the ships in the harbor.

"There are three of them, which one is it?" he asked, hopeful that his interest would kee them on land a little while longer.

Michel raised his arm and pointed to the ship. "It's the biggest one Professor, that blue one right in the middle of the harbor."

The young man looked at the ship; rather large yacht was an understatement. It was some kind of super-yacht., it had to be a least 65 metres, with three decks. He squinted to read the name on the bow.

He turned to look at Bashere, and raising an eyebrow he asked, "You named your ship "Imperious?"

"Of course, dear boy, what better name could I have christened her?" he exclaimed with a great deal of pride in his voice.

Charlie just stared at him, "_Of course", _he thought, "_what better name indeed. It was perfect for him; he had never met anyone as arrogant as Bashere."_

He gaze drifted toward the end of the dock where he saw the yacht tender waiting to take them aboard.

Philippe had now joined them by the car and Charlie was positioned between the two men with Bashere standing directly behind him and giving them some final instructions.

"Now, we are going to walk to the tender moored at the end of this dock….no sudden movements Professor. Of course, with your injuries I wouldn't expect you to be moving very quickly."

"Gentlemen, please relax a little; try not too look like my enforcers or you'll be the ones attracting attention. Let's get going."

" Oh, by the way, how do you prefer to be addressed….Charles or Charlie?" the man asked amicably.

"How about Dr. Eppes?" the young man angrily replied.

Laughter was the immediate response, "Oh, my dear boy we are going to have so much fun. I'll just address you as Professor until we are further acquainted."

They started walking….all moving as one.

If the people on the docks and in the boats thought they looked strange, they assumed it was just another "Hollywood Star" out with his entourage and went back to their own concerns.

The tender was about 200 ft away with a 20 ft ramp to board it and although it was slow going because of his injuries, Charlie thought they were still closing the distance to the ramp at an alarming rate .

"_Come on, come on, somebody look at us, please, someone please do something. Don, where are you guys.?!" _

He could feel the sweat on his upper lip and his thoughts were swirling... first hope that someone would notice them... then despair when he realized that no one was going to take any interest in them.

The tender was getting closer...150 ft now and still no sign of his brother or the FBI.

"_Where are you guys, hurry, please hurry!"_

Charlie was getting desperate, he had to try something before they got him on that boat….this was his last chance! He looked at some of the people, trying to will them to turn around.

"Eyes straight ahead, Professor." Bashere's voice came softly from behind him. "Remember what I told you."

Charlie reluctantly turned and faced the dock once again, hope failing with each step that he took.

50 feet to go.

30 feet

10 feet left

All too soon they stood at the slip where the tender was waiting .

As they started up the ramp, despair began to consume him. He was so lost in his thoughts that at first he didn't hear the yells and notice his captors sudden stop. He felt himself jerked around to face the dock and had too close his eyes against the sudden onslaught of pain that the jolting movement had caused. When he was able to open them once again, he was overwhelmed by the vision that stood before him.

Facing them were four FBI agents, guns drawn, ordering his kidnappers to drop their weapons and to release him.

Despite the dire situation, Charlie couldn't stop a smile from coming to his lips and for the first time in over twenty-four hours hope lit up his expressive brown eyes and without hesitation he started to step toward the agents.

His voice cracked as he said "Don"…but before he could finish his sentence an arm had encircled his throat, pulling him back and he was suddenly struggling just to get some air into his lungs, the jacket falling to the ground in the struggle.

The relief in his brother's eyes when he saw them almost stopped Don in his tracks and his own eyes hardened at the sight of a man grabbing Charlie and pulling him in front of him while at the same time bringing up his other arm revealing a gun which he pointed directly at his brother's head.

The agent immediately recognized the gun as the one that was used to kill Carl Mittendorf.

"Let him go Bashere!" focusing on the man Don continued. "It's over, drop your weapon and move away from him!"

The young mathematician's reaction to the agent was not lost on Bashere and ignoring the federal agent he pulled Charlie even closer and spoke near his ear.

"The brief biography that Duque provided mentioned that you had a father and a brother, Alan is your father's name….and Don is your brother's name." With a quick glance at the agent he spoke again to his hostage. "The biography lacked an important piece of information, Professor. Duque failed to mention that your brother was an FBI agent…..now that would have been some useful information to have, wouldn't it, my dear boy?" he asked as he tightened his arm around the young man.

The look of revulsion on his brother's face as he was drawn even closer to the man made it difficult for Don to remain professional. It took all of his willpower to stay calm and in control of the situation. He clenched his jaw and tightened his grip on his gun.

Don could hear the reinforcements coming up behind him and from the looks of the two bodyguards surrender was just a few minutes away. His gut told him that Bashere was not going to be that easy; it looked like Megan had been right, he was going to be a problem.

Charlie couldn't believe that the man was still going to try and fight his way out of this, facing four agents and the LAPD coming up behind them….the man had to be crazy. The odds were against Bashere and he would gladly quote it to him if he could just get a good breath.

………………………………...

David found himself standing opposite the largest man that he had ever seen; gun in position he stood silently and watched his movements closely.

"Don't do it man., keep those hands where I can see them. You go for any pocket and I'll shoot." He didn't have to yell, they were close enough now to talk in normal tones. "Even someone your size will go down with a bullet."

Michel had been in the process of putting his hand in his pocket but froze at Sinclair's words. He risked a glance at his boss and then exchanged a look with Philippe. They seemed to come to a decision and as one and they lowered themselves down to their knees and put their hands behind their heads.

Livid with rage, Bashere yelled, "You idiots, get back up here or I'll shoot you myself!"

Realizing that this wasn't going to happen, he kept the gun on Charlie and slowly started to back up on the ramp.

Megan and Colby rushed forward to cuff and disarm the two men. Colby gave up trying to put cuffs on Michel, his cuffs weren't big enough to encircle the man's wrists, so he turned him over to Walker and his officers, then rejoined the other agents.

Now it was just Bashere and he was still pulling the young mathematician backwards up the ramp.

Don tried to reason with the man again, "Your all alone now, just put the gun down…. no one has to get hurt."

"Do you take me for a fool?" he yelled back. "The only way you could have found me was through Duque and if you found him then you know who killed his partner, so let's stop pretending that no one has gotten hurt!."

"Look, the Coast Guard has already boarded your ship and there's no where to run, so put the gun down and let him go." the agent demanded again as he continued to move forward.

They were within 12 ft of them now but still not close enough for any of them to get in a position to grab the gun out of the man's hand. The agents had formed a semi-circle at the base of the ramp and Don was the only one of them that had actually managed to get a foot-hold on the ramp.

"You can't win here, it's over. Let him go." the agent demanded.

"No……you try and stop me and I'll kill him!" He stopped halfway up the ramp, trying to consider his options, "Are you willing to loose your brother forever? I don't believe you will risk my pulling this trigger…. Agent Eppes!" he hissed vehemently.

Don narrowed his eyes and his blood ran cold.. This man was going to pay for this. _"If only there had been enough time to get a sniper in place……what he wouldn't give to have Edgerton here putting this man in his sights." _

………………………………

Charlie was tired …….and in pain. He was tired of being pulled and pushed around and he had just reached his breaking point. The man was too close to him….he had to get away….and he didn't care how he did it. The bile was steadily building up in his throat and if he couldn't get this man's hands off him he was going to be sick.

All logic and rational thought had left him and desperation had taken control.

He brought his heel down on the man's foot with enough force to cause him considerable pain. Unfortunately, the sudden movement he made caused himself to suffer the same consequences as well.

Surprised by the young man's action and distracted by the pain in his foot, Bashere shifted his position and the hand holding the gun was no longer pointing at Charlie.

Don fired immediately and hit Bashere in the shoulder and with a gasp he dropped his gun and released his hold on his hostage.

Bent over from the agonizing pain, Charlie didn't realize immediately that he was free. When he did see his chance for freedom, he started to move forward only to be jerked back again as Bashere was trying to regain his balance on the edge of the ramp.

Bashere failed in his attempt to keep from falling and as he stumbled backward over the side he pulled Charlie into the water with him.

As he felt himself pulled over the edge, Charlie screamed out his brother's name and had time for one quick glance at Don. Their eyes locked for a brief second and then he was watching himself approach the water.

He only had a few precious seconds to inhale as much air as he could before going under and as he began to sink he frantically searched around for Bashere but couldn't find him anywhere….mercifully the fall had separated them.

His only thought now was to get back up to the surface before he ran out of air. Trying not to panic as he quickly sank, he began to kick his legs in an attempt to move upward but without the use of his arms he continued to sink.

His chest was beginning to hurt…… a burning in his lungs as they tried to breathe air that was no longer there. Darkness was closing in on him as his vision began to fade and he began to hallucinate as his brain reacted to the loss of oxygen. He knew what was happening….that it wasn't real….it's just that it looked so real.

Larry floated before him, a mournful look upon his face. _"Oh Charles, why didn't you listen to me. I tried to warn you about getting involved in these activities. Remember, four years ago when you worked with Don on that first case. I warned you about getting distracted and now you are going to die at such a young age. Oh, the things you could have accomplished." ….._and he faded away before Charlie could respond……only to be replaced by his Dad with tears running down his cheeks. "_Charlie, you get back here_. _You can't leave yet, what about my grandchildren?_ ….and Amita with her arms reaching for him, tears falling from her eyes and now Don appeared looking at him with fear in his eyes "_Hey Buddy, don't you give up on me, I'll find you." _

As his brother faded away the numbers started appearing, he saw the answer to P vs. NP and it was so obvious to him now, how had he missed that before. "_Wow, I can't wait to incorporate this into my Cognitive Emergence Theory….oh right, I won't be around to do that."_ and he felt sad about that, it would have been nice to at least finish his theory. "_I guess Larry was right after all."_

As all conscious thought began to drift away a light began to coalesce in front of him and he saw his Mom floating there. She was smiling and stretching out her hand to him.

"_Come along sweetie, it's time for you to go." _

Impulsively he reached for her hand and smiled as he realized that he was finally free.


	11. Chapter 11

-1A/N: All the characters and references to the show "NUMB3RS" are the property of Cheryl Heuton and Nick Falacci, CBS and the Scott Brothers. I am not making any profit from this and no infringement is intended.

Thank you for your reviews.

Chapter 11:

As soon as the gun hit the ground the agents started running forward.

It seemed to Don as if everything was suddenly in slow motion. "_**Charlie, nooo!!" **_he screamed as he lunged forward with his arms stretched out toward his brother…but he was too late… his fingers closed on air.

For one brief moment he had made eye contact with his brother and then Charlie was screaming his name as the force of gravity pulled them apart. Time sped up again and he made it to the edge of the ramp just as Charlie's curly head sank beneath the surface.

The agent was aware of the other voices around him but they didn't seem to register, he was in full panic mode now and he quickly removed his Kevlar vest and gear, kicked off his shoes and dove into the marina in the spot where his brother had disappeared under the water.

A few seconds later two more splashes could be heard as David and Colby joined him in the water.

Megan and Walker ran to the edge of the ramp and frantically scanned the now quiet surface.

The pretty agent immediately began to strip herself of anything that would weigh her down but before she could remove her gun or shoes, the lieutenant interceded.

"You can't go…" he started to say.

Through gritted teeth she interrupted him, "Oh, yeah….just watch me."

"Agent Reeves," he tried again, "Your team is in command of this operation, and right now you are in charge. You can't go in."

She clenched her jaw and looked away. "_Dam it!" _she thought, "_the man was right." _

Swallowing hard, she turned back to face him. and nodded her head in agreement. She walked over to the edge of the ramp and waited for her teammates to resurface.

………………………………...

Don had only one thought as he hit the water, "_Where is he….he can't be far….it's only been a few seconds….where is he?"_

He was surprised at how muddy the water was until he remembered the storm that had hit during the night. It had been a really violent storm , centered just off the coast and had brought in a lot of the colder ocean water. It had stirred up the mud on the ocean floor and now it was almost impossible to see more than a few feet in front of him.

The agent propelled himself in a circle to check the surrounding area hoping to see his brother nearby. His heart began to race even harder when he failed to see any sign of him.

He saw two splashes to his right and turned to see David and Colby swimming toward him. They split up and went in different directions and Don glided deeper into the area where he was sure Charlie had gone under.

"_Nothing…..how could he disappear so quickly…..think Eppes!!…think….the undercurrent, that 's it!…which way is it running? _

His vision was beginning to fade; he had to go back up for air ….he didn't want to but he had no choice. Swimming back to the surface, he inhaled as quickly as he could and was back beneath the water in only a moment.

Swimming back to his original location, he ripped a piece of his shirt and let it go, watching it float with the fast moving current. Following the cloth he continuously turned around to look for his brother and just when he thought he was going to have to go back up for more air…. he spotted him… floating listlessly with the current, his curls eerily floating above his head.

Don was almost out of air again and his vision was once again becoming fuzzy but he was afraid to leave… afraid that he wouldn't be able to find his brother again. Diving toward the young man he quickly covered the distance between them and placing an arm around his brother's chest, he began the climb back to the surface.

Charlie hung limply in his arm and his added weight was slowing the older man down and he could feel a burning sensation beginning to grow in his lungs. He was almost out of air, but he wasn't going to let go. If his brother went down , then he was going down with him…there was no way was he going to let him go. Don was slowing down…. it looked as if the surface was getting farther and farther away….he wasn't going to make it.

"_I'm sorry Dad, I tried but I couldn't save him. Please forgive me but I won't let him go alone."_ he thought to himself and as he felt himself begin to sink he gripped his brother even tighter.

Suddenly his descent was halted and amazingly, both he and his brother were being pulled upward.

Despite his fading vision Don realized that David and Colby had found them and the two of them were easily towing the Eppes brothers back up to the surface..

Breaking the surface of the water they all began to gasp for air with the exception of Charlie who floated silently in his brother's arms. After taking several deep breaths Don turned his attention to his brother. His skin was cold and pale in appearance and there was a slightly blue tinge to his face, especially around his lips.

"He's ….not…breathing"….he gasped , struggling to keep the water out of his mouth.

"We've…got…to…get…him…to…shore." David sputtered after getting a mouthful of water.

"No…..time…needs….air…now!" Don mumble frantically.

"Colby…David…float…his….body…..try…to…keep…it…level…hurry!"

The younger agents moved into positions, one on each side of the unconscious man , floating his body in front of them. Don was holding Charlie's head so it wouldn't sink. He turned his brother's head toward him and pinched his nose closed with one hand and opening his mouth he tried to breathe air into his lungs.

Fearing that it was too late for his friend, David pressed two fingers to Charlie's neck to check for a pulse; his eyes widened in surprise and in a strained voice he gasped .

"Don…he's….got…heart…beat…keep…breathing!"

With David's words for encouragement, Don continued, repeating the instructions of rescue over and over in his mind "_give one slow breath every five seconds for twelve breaths, give one slow breath every five seconds for twelve breaths…come on Buddy…come back…give one slow breath every five seconds for twelve breaths….please come back…breathe….please…breathe."_

They were growing tired; the initial adrenaline rush of the rescue was dissipating and the cold water temperature was draining their energy at an alarming rate. It was becoming a struggle to keep themselves afloat and hold Charlie in a position where Don could continue to give him CPR.

A feeling of hopelessness was settling over Colby as he watched the older agent and from the expression on his partner's face he knew that he was feeling the same way.

Don's frantic efforts to save his brother didn't appear to be working but the younger agent wasn't going to try and stop him, a small part of him still wanted to believe that it wasn't too late. They had tried so hard to find the young man, only to lose him in the last few minutes.

The current had carried them out into the harbor and they were behind the large yachts that were moored at the dock; out of sight of those on the shore line. He knew Megan and the others had to be looking for them but they were looking in the wrong place.

A cough got his attention and he looked back at Charlie… he couldn't believe it…. it was Charlie… and a relieved smile started to play around his lips. He glanced at David to make sure he wasn't seeing things and saw his own hopeful expression reflected back.

Charlie was alive!

………………………………...

Don watched his brother's face closely and concentrated on keeping his head above the water…..a cough…then small gulps for air and finally a long shuddering gasp as he fought to get the air back into his lungs. His eyelids fluttered and finally opened.

"Charlie…Char.. .lie….can you…hear...me...come on Buddy…focus." Don pleaded as he brushed a few wet curls out of the young man's eyes.

………………………………...

It was the strangest sensation that he had ever experienced. It was as if he were floating on air and it was so quiet., his mind was never quiet;. All of his life the numbers were always revolving in his mind and now there was nothing, nothing but silence and peace.

Suddenly, something changed. The warmth that he had been feeling turned cold and the peace and quiet were being replaced by pain and noise.

Charlie opened his eyes and then closed them right away because of the bright sun directly overhead. Through squinted eyelids he tried to focus on his surroundings and determine his situation. He still had the sensation of floating and something splashed in his face . He tried to wipe it away but discovered that he couldn't move his hands. _Why couldn't he move his hands? Where was he anyway?_

There were voices coming from somewhere…..and one sounded really familiar….but it was just out of reach, along with the numbers that were beginning to appear. His eyes fluttered closed again….he was so tired….all he wanted to do was sleep…._or was he asleep?_ That was it, he was dreaming, a very realistic dream, but still a dream…. still, he felt wet and cold and like he was floating in water…._wait a minute_…_there was something about water? _There was more, there was a man, someone that he needed to get away from.

Abruptly he remembered everything and panic-stricken he opened is eyes and started thrashing his legs, threatening to take them all under.

"Charlie!….Charlie….it's okay….I've got you…you've got to…calm…down…or we'll all go…under!" his brother shouted over the noise.

David and Colby quickly released him and went to help support Don as he put an arm around his brother's neck to keep him from going under.

"Don?….it came out as little more than a whisper, barely audible above the noise of the water lapping around them.

The young man stopped struggling at the sound of his brother's voice and telling himself to get a grip he opened his eyes again and tried to focus on what was happening. He could feel Don against his back and see the arm around him and that had a calming effect on him so he forced himself to stay still.

"S'kay Don…. I'm… okay." frowning he asked "still…in…water?"

"Yeah…we'll…get…you...out soon." the older man replied his voice catching a little with the relief that he felt, glad his brother couldn't see the tears in his eyes.

"Where's…Bashere? Charlie anxiously asked.

"He's gone….he can't….hurt you…anymore." his brother answered..

"Glad…to...have…you back…Charlie." David said as he patted the young man's shoulder.

Surprised, Charlie turned his head to the right and tried to return David's smile.

"Yeah…Charlie…you had….us…scared…for…a while."

Turning his head to the left he saw Colby's head bobbing out of the water. "Thanks" he replied.

"Don…can…you…free...my…hands?" he gasped out, for some reason his breathing was becoming more rapid now.

"Sure" his brother replied. "Guys…help me…turn him….around…put…his…head…on..my shoulder…..I'll….hold…him…you…guys…can…untie him."

The two agents kept the mathematician afloat as the older man released his hold on him.

Don waited as the two men turned Charlie around to face him and for the first time they were able to make eye contact.

"Hey …Buddy." he whispered as he pulled him into a tight one-armed hug, while keeping his other arm free to float on the surface to help keep them from sinking. He brought Charlie's chin to rest on the top of his shoulder, trying to keep his face out of the water.

Letting his own head rest against his brother's, he closed his eyes in relief and he could feel Charlie's chest rise and fall rapidly against him. That brought him some comfort while he waited for the other agents to get the ropes off of Charlie's hands.

"Dam….Charlie…sorry…can't…get it loose…need…a...knife" David gasped after he had surfaced and inhaled air again.

He'd been under the water trying to get the ropes loose but the knots were tight and wet and his own hands, shaking from the cold, didn't help matters either. It was early and the water was really cold, if they didn't get out soon, they would all end up with hyperthermia.

Colby's head bobbed back up to the surface after trying his hand at getting the ropes off of his friend, but it was to no avail.

"Crap…can't get…it…loose…either." he coughed and spit out the water he had just swallowed.

"Don…let…me…hold…him…you…need. .a break" the younger agent offered.

"Thanks…but…I'm…o'kay" he replied. The truth was he was really getting tired and his brother was becoming dead weight in his arms but he refused to let go.

"It's…s' kay…I'm…too…heavy…sorry…can't…hold…on…myself: " the young man whispered startling him, "I'm…s 'tired."

"No…it's….alright…bro…I'm...not…gonna….let…go." tightening his arm around his brother to prove his point. This immediately brought forth a groan from his brother and Don remembered his injured side.

"Sorry…didn't mean to ….hurt…you."

"Not…your…fault…s'kay." his brother's voice was fading.

"You've got to….stay…awake….focus….Charlie….stay with …me." Don anxiously demanded. "Charlie…stay awake."

"Come…on…let…us…hellp?" David asked.

"There are…. peo … ple .. on…these…boats… and …Megan…is …on…the… dock…start shouting…. we…won't…last….much…longer." Don replied.

Swimming to either side of the older man, the younger agents alternated between helping their friends stay afloat and yelling for help.


	12. Chapter 12

-1

A/N: I do not own the characters or any references to the show "NUMB3RS" and no infringement is intended.

Thank you for your reviews and a special note to montez; "I found a boat."

Chapter 12:

Back on the dock, Agent Reeves was pacing the edge of the water like a caged lion, even seasoned Lt Walker knew to stay out of her way. Her fists balled at her side and the intense look upon her face would have given pause to even the worst of offenders.

"_Where are they_…._his hands were tied….he can't swim….they've got to find him fast_!" she was mumbling to herself and alternately looking at her watch and the harbor, and becoming more and more agitated by the second.

"How long has it been….they'll have to come up for air soon…how long can a person stay down there and still survive? Does anybody see them!?"

She was talking too fast to get any answers from anyone and stopped suddenly and turned when she actually heard someone respond.

A young officer standing nearby answered one of her questions. "Three minutes Agent Reeves…. in three minutes a person will lose consciousness, five minutes and the brain will suffer from ….uh….lack of oxygen." He stammered after receiving glares from the agent and his lieutenant. Swallowing hard he added, "I'm just saying….ah…..ah…I'll go and check along the dock area,"

"That might be good idea, son'" his lieutenant advised as he covered his mouth with his hand to hide the smile that was beginning to appear there. He had never met a woman who could intimidate a man the way Agent Reeves could.

Turning back to the agent he tried to keep his voice calm, "Look Reeves, they've only been down there for a minute and I've got men all along the dock watching for them."

Suddenly, Don's head broke the surface of the water startlingly them; he took a few gulps of air and disappeared once again. Sinclair and Granger popped up a few seconds later and after inhaling a few breaths of air they followed him back down.

The agent brought both hands up to her face, "Oh, my God….they can't find him!"

"There was a storm last night, the water isn't as clear as it usually is, that's probably why they are having so much trouble locating the professor. They'll find him Reeves, I know they will." although his words lacked the conviction that it had held only moments ago.

She looked back at the water, she wasn't sure he really believed that, thought he might be saying it just to keep her hopes up…still, she wasn't ready to give up yet. She started pacing again, she couldn't help it, it was either pace or jump in the water herself.

Turning back to Walker she stopped and asked again "How long have they been down?"

The lieutenant sighed and looked at his watch again "We're going on three minutes…this isn't good." the worry was more evident in his voice this time.

"Does anyone have eyes on the agents in the water? he called out. Negative responses came back as his officers reported in.

"Spread out along the entire dock, the next time they come up they're all going to need some help, that water has got to be pretty cold this early in the morning."

They kept watching the water…nothing…ten minutes….fifteen minutes….panic was beginning to take control over her professionalism. She looked at Walker, his solid demeanor was beginning to crumble.

Her eyes followed the dock and came to rest on the ambulance that had been called to the scene and now waited along with the rest of them.

LAPD and San Pedro police officers along with several more FBI agents lined the dock and surrounding coast line, all carefully watching the water for the five missing men. Two officers had gone in to look for them and had just popped back up to the surface. They swam back to the dock and were helped out of the water. Shivering from the cold, they were quickly wrapped in blankets.

Megan and Gary hurried over to them.

"Daniels, Moser, any sign of them." Lieutenant Walker asked anxiously.

"No sir," Officer Daniels responded. "It's really muddy down there from the storm, it was difficult to see anything."

Officer Moser added, "The water is really cold sir. If they stay down there much longer all of them will end up with hypothermia." he paused and then asked. " Should we go back down, sir?"

"No, get dressed and go warm up. We'll send two more officers down and the coast guard should have some diver's over here within the next twenty minutes."

Megan frowned, she had contacted the Coast Guard but she felt it was taking way too long for them to get there. She had never been good at waiting, particularly under these kind of circumstances and she had a really bad feeling that if she didn't do something soon today's events would haunt her for the rest of her life. Something was terribly wrong, three agents, one professor and a madman, and no one had surfaced in at least twenty-five minutes.

A shadow fell over her and she looked up at the sky. The sun had disappeared behind some dark clouds and they were moving fast. The wind had shifted it's direction toward them, bringing another storm in from the outlying ocean. She could feel the temperature dropping as the wind started blowing stronger and the sea started getting rougher.

"_Great," _she thought, "_just what we need, another storm. If it starts raining, we'll never find them in time."_

The wind started whipping her hair around her face so she pulled a hair band from her pocket to secure it from blowing around and took another walk along the dock. She turned back and headed toward Walker but abruptly stopped in her tracks; turning her ear into the wind . She thought she heard something…it was very faint…."_was that a yell for help?_…._no, make that several yells for help!!" _The agent sprinted toward the sounds.

Walker caught up with her and she asked excitedly, "Do you hear them?"

"Yes….where are they coming from?" he returned breathlessly.

"I don't know…they sound really far away. Wait….. I think it's coming from behind…these boats!" and she ran faster.

Darting up another ramp that was alongside a large yacht, she quickly ran to the edge and frantically looked out into the harbor. The water was getting rougher with the approaching storm and the clouds overhead suddenly let loose with a downpour, making it even more difficult to see anything over the waves rippling higher with the onset of the storm.

Ignoring the rain, the agent anxiously pulled out her binoculars and began searching the harbor. The yells had stopped, either the rain was covering them up or they were unable to call out anymore. She fervently hoped that it was the former.

"_Nothing…they have to be there…they must be further out." _she thought to herself as she continued her search.

"Lt. Walker do you see anything?

He had his own binoculars out trying to locate them. "Nothing yet" he quietly responded.

The agent expanded her search area and concentrated further out into the harbor. Abruptly she stopped and focused her lens on an area toward the middle of the marina. She thought she saw something but then a large swell of water hid it from view. She took the sleeve of her jacket and wiped the water off of the lens and took another look …..and saw four heads bobbing up and down in the water before another swell took them from sight.

"I see them!" she yelled over the storm. "There….near the center of the harbor." she added as she pointed in the direction of the four men.

She frantically turned to Walker, "We've got to get a boat out there, they're out too far to swim back.!"

"We'll get the Coast Guard out there." he quickly responded.

Megan was shaking her head, "No, there isn't time…we need a boat now!" and she raced around him and headed for the last boat ramp where the tender for Bashere's yacht was still moored.

She ran up the ramp and jumped on board the boat with Walker and the two young police officer's that she had met earlier right behind her.

There was a San Pedro police officer on board and two cuffed crewmen sitting in the main area.

It was a large boat and completely enclosed, offering them protection from the rain. It could easily seat a dozen people or more. Luxurious seats and extravagant amenities dotted the interior and it was obvious that's it's owner spared no expense for his comfort.

The agent didn't care about any of this, desperately she turned to the San Pedro officer.

She flashed her badge and asked. "Is one of these men the pilot?"

The officer stood up and pointed at the older of the two crewmen. "Yes, agent, this man is the pilot…why?"

She ignored his question and turned to the man.

"Stand up." she demanded, and as he stood she roughly turned him around so his hands were facing the officer.

"Release him!"

"Agent?" The puzzled officer looked at her like she had lost her mind.

"This is an FBI operation and I am the lead agent. I expect you to do as I say." She turned back to the pilot. "I have four men who will drown if we don't get this boat out to them right away and you are going to take us there!"

Agent Reeves drew herself up and turned steely eyes on the officer, "I said ..release him!"

That look was all the officer needed to get moving. Quickly pulling out his keys he un-cuffed the man and started to lead him toward the controls.

"Wait!" the agent commanded and she turned to the other crewman. "Do you have any emergency equipment on board?"

The crewman nodded his head in affirmation.

She turned back again to the officer, "Release him, he's going to help these men gather all of the necessary equipment, isn't that right?"

"Ah…yes ma'm." he answered immediately.

"Let's get moving!" she commanded. "We've got to hurry!"

Lt Walker leaned out of the doorway and commanded another officer to remove the moor line and then joined Megan and the others in the wheel house. The pilot started the engine and backed the tender away from the dock and slowly turned it around and headed out into the harbor.

………………………………...

An ocean swell enveloped all of them and they went under.

Colby was the first up and gasped for air….he frantically looked around for his friends. The swells were coming faster and now rain had joined the mix which made it even more difficult to see anything. A movement to his right caught his attention and he turned in time to see David surface about ten feet away. The agent quickly swam over to his partner's side and grabbed his shirt to keep them from separating in the next swell.

"Colby," he gasped. "You see… Don …or ….Charlie?"

"**No." **the other agent had to shout to be heard over the sounds of the storm and the surf. **Can't….see….any….thing…in…this….crap."**

"**We've…got….to…find…them." **David yelled back.

Suddenly Colby shouted, "**There! Over there!" **he could just barely see the tops of their heads and he wasn't sure how much longer they could remain above the water. "**Come **…**on….hurry!"**

They swam another fifteen feet and Colby grabbed Don while David latched onto Charlie. Both men were gasping for air and Charlie let out a moan as David tried to pull him from his brother, but Don had a death grip on the younger man and wouldn't let go.

"**Don….Don…let….him…go!" **The agent shouted at him.

A grim determination appeared in the older man's eyes and he resolutely refused to release his brother. "**NO!" **he shouted back. "**We….stay…together!"**

"**Man….your**….**hurting….him….let…him…go….I'll…take….him**." the junior agent pleaded with him.

A look of awareness seemed to appear on Don's face and he loosened the grip around his brother's chest a little but not completely and then he spoke to the other two agents.

"You….guys…should…head…for….shore, you…might….make…it."

Disbelief was etched on the faces of both agents. After all they had been through, did Don really think that they would just leave them here to die but before they could respond the older agent spoke again.

'Please….I….can't…..ask….you….to…die….for…us, maybe…bring…help….back…in…time…to…save…us." It was getting harder to talk while simultaneously trying to breathe and still keep them both from going under.

They were all surprised when they heard Charlie speak. It was hard for the younger agents to hear him so they moved around so they could see his face.

"Please….make…Don…let….me…go." he rasped as loudly as he could. "You…three…could….make…it….to…shore." he coughed as he swallowed some water.

"**NO!" **Don said angrily. "**Don't ….think….that…way**…Charlie." his voice softened as he said his brother's name. "But…you…guys…need…to…go."

"My…choice…Don….I'm….staying." David replied as he fought to keep his head above the water.

Colby spit out some water and added "I'm… not …going…. either…. we …. live or… die…. together."

………………………………...

The pilot steered the tender toward the center of the harbor under the direction of the agent in charge. Visibility was poor but the FBI agent and the police lieutenant were watching the water closely through their binoculars.

Megan would lose them when the high swells hit and then find them again as the swells subsided. Once, she even lost them completely and in a blind panic almost took the controls herself just to get the boat to go faster. Fortunately, she hadn't lost all of her common sense and thankfully, Walker was there to keep her grounded.

"**We're getting closer," **she yelled to the pilot, "**We have about fifty feet to go."**

"Which side of the boat are they on?" he asked.

"On the starboard side." the other crewman called back.

The pilot veered the boat away from the people in the water.

"What are you doing?! Megan hissed at him, "we were almost there!"

"I have to pick them up on the windward side." he responded, and seeing her confusion he added, "Upwind… there's a better chance of rescue on the upwind side of the boat."

"This better not be some kind of trick." she returned angrily.

"No ma'm it isn't , it's the truth. How close are we now?" he asked.

"Twenty feet," the lieutenant answered him, "ten feet…**stop! **"We're right along side of them now."

The pilot quickly put the boat into neutral and held it as steady as he could in the rough seas.

The other crewman lifted the door covering and they all looked down into the water.

All four of the men had somehow managed to keep from going under, but barely. They were so intent on staying afloat that no one realized the ship was only five feet from them.

Megan went to the doorway and got down on her knees so she was closer to the water. She leaned out and yelled their names to try and get their attention.; she wasn't having any luck, either they didn't hear her or they were too far gone to notice. The agent crawled back into the interior.

"Give me a lifejacket, I'm going in." she commanded as she began to remove some of her gear.

"Agent Reeves, you should let us go in, we can help them get into the boat." Officer Daniels said motioning to himself and his partner.

The agent knew he was right, her friends would stand a better chance of surviving if the two men when in after them so she agreed and handed life jackets to both of them.

Walker was beside them giving out instructions.. "You'll need to get life jackets on all of them as soon as possible, that will give them more of a chance because it may take us a while to get them out of the water."

"I'll hand them down to you after your in. Try to get the Professor out first, he may have some serious injuries. Be safe gentlemen."

The officers finished gearing up and after the crewman rolled down the ladder, they quickly descended into the water.

The four men had been floating closely together and were surprised when the officer's popped up beside them. They heard a shout and turned to see the boat and the lieutenant tossing a life jacket to each of his men. Without wasting anytime, they each proceeded to put a life jacket on the agent nearest him. When Officer Moser finished with Agent Granger he retrieved another jacket and headed back to Don. The older agent wouldn't relinquish his hold on his brother, so he couldn't get the jacket on him.

"**Sir…I…need…to…put…this…on…you." **

The agent shook his head, "**Put…it…on…him…first." **he said with a nod toward his brother.

At that moment his partner joined him with a jacket for Charlie. It took them a few minutes but they finally succeeded in getting the jackets on them while Don still clung to his brother.

"**We…need…to…get…closer…to the boat**." Moser shouted, "**We'll help…you…climb…the…ladder."**

Colby shouted over the noise of the boat. "**His…hands….are….tied….he…won't… be …able… to… climb….up."**

David yelled, "**Can…you…cut….his…hands…free?"**

The officer shook his head and yelled back, "**No…it's too….dangerous….under….these…conditions…might cut….him…instead." **

"**How…do…we…get…him…on…the...boat?" **Don yelled over the noise.

"**If.. we… can get ….him …close ….enough… they will ..be able….to pull… him… into the boat."**

They worked their way closer to the boat until they were gathered around the ladder. The crewman tossed a rope to one of the officer's in the water; he grabbed the rope and turned to Charlie.

"**Sir…I'm…going…to…tie…this…around…your…chest…so…they…can…pull..you…up."**

Before Charlie could reply, his brother spoke up.

"**Be…careful….he…may…have…some…broken…ribs." **He coughed and spit out some water and then continued.. "**Tie…it…high…under…his….arms.**

The officer took the rope and pulled it underneath the vest and high under the professor's arms. After making sure that his knot would hold , he gave the rope two sharp pulls so that the lieutenant would know they were ready.

Don floated near the ladder and anxiously watched as Charlie was slowly hauled up the side of the boat. His brother grimaced in pain at each tug of the rope and the older man silently prayed that he would survive the rescue attempt.

The rain came down in a deluge at the same time as a large swell of water washed over them, knocking the young mathematician sideways against the boat.

Don's heart stopped when he heard his brother cry out in pain and watched in horror as the rope slipped, dropping him back into the raging sea and out of sight. Panic-stricken the older man started forward only to see Charlie pulled back out of the water by the others on the boat.

His brother hung there, gasping for breath, and then they tried again to pull him up. This time they were successful and Don took a deep breath as his brother was taken over the side of the boat.

The older agent was next to go up and it wasn't until he started up the ladder that he realized just how exhausted he was. The younger officers helped push him up and he was pulled inside the boat. He sat for a few moments where he landed, then spotting Charlie stretched out on a cushioned bench, he slowly worked his way over to his side.

Megan was holding Charlie on his side so that the lieutenant could cut the ropes on his hands. Finally, the ropes were cut and she gently laid him back down on the cushions. The agent immediately began to wrap him up in blankets and called to someone to turn up the heat in the boat.

She grabbed another blanket and wrapped it around Don, and for the first time he realized how badly he was shivering. Holding it tighter around himself, he eased down on the bench that was directly across from his brother. He reached over and pulled the blanket a little closer to the young man's chin and Charlie turned his head and their eyes met.

"Hey, Buddy, how are you doing? " He asked quietly.

"Been better." his brother whispered back. "Cold…and my side hurts."

"I know, we'll get you warmed up soon, but you need to stay awake…okay? I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't have some broken ribs, too."

He didn't get a response, Charlie had closed his eyes. Don squeezed his shoulder and he opened them again.

"You've got to stay awake, try real hard to stay awake, okay? he asked anxiously.

His brother nodded his head and whispered "I'll try.

From his vantage point, he watched as first David and then Colby were pulled on board. and immediately wrapped in blankets by Megan as they joined him on the bench., each greeting his brother as they sat down.

Finally, the two LAPD officers were pulled in and the lieutenant closed the door. Once everyone was settled and covered in blankets, Megan made her way to the pilot and ordered him to head for shore.


	13. Chapter 13

-1

A/N: All the characters and references to the show "NUMB3RS" are the property of Cheryl Heuton and Nick Falacci, CBS and the Scott Brothers. I am not making any profit from this and no infringement is intended.

I really appreciate your reviews.

Chapter 13:

The ride back to shore seemed to last an eternity to Don. The storm was abating now, but the waves were still rough, and the tender was tossed around as they headed back in.

Don had positioned himself so that he could hold his brother on the bench. There had been several times when the boat had tipped to one side or the other and Charlie had almost slid to the floor. Both times he had barely managed to keep him from falling and that was only because he had help from David and Colby. Now the three of them had taken up positions around the bench to keep him from sliding off.

The crewman had suggested using the rope to tie him in place and had actually started toward the young man with the rope in his hands.

Charlie was conscious and went into a state of panic at the sight of the rope.

"NO!….Donnie…please….don't let him tie me again.!" he begged his brother as he struggled to get up knocking the blankets to the floor in his efforts to escape the approaching man.

Charlie's sudden fear had given him surprising strength and it was taking all three of the agents to keep him from actually getting off the bench.

Don quickly pushed him back down and kept his hands on his shoulders to keep him in place. "Charlie!….Charlie!….listen to me….I won't let anyone come near you with a rope….I promise….just take it easy." Looking back over his shoulder he yelled at the crewman, "Get that thing out of his sight!"

The bewildered crewman backed away and put the rope down on the floor. "I…I…was just trying to help."

Don had little patience for the man. "Just trying to help!" he repeated angrily. "And were you going to help him when your boss brought him on board with his hands tied behind his back?!" Don needed to vent his anger and as far as he was concerned this guy would do just fine. "Well…answer me!"

The crewman found the agent's glare intimidating and he looked around for someone to help him. Everyone was watching him and waiting for an answer. He swallowed nervously and continued to look from person to person until he realized that no one was going to help him.

"Look…man…I…uh…didn't do nothing." He managed to stammer out. "I just take care of the boat….I don't know nothing about that man." he said, pointing at Charlie..

"Sit down and shut up!" the older man said through gritted teeth.

Charlie had calmed down and as the agent straightened up he turned to face Megan. Scowling, he asked. "Shouldn't he be in cuffs?"

She shrugged her shoulders, "We needed his help, Don."

"Okay, he helped, now get him into some cuffs….I don't trust him!"

Walker took the hint and walked over and pulled the man's arms behind him and cuffed him.

The crewman tried to plead with them. "But I helped….doesn't that count for anything?"

"You were ordered to help…but your still a suspect." The lieutenant gruffly responded. "Now sit down….and…shut…up!"

This time the crewman meekly sat down on a bench across from the two young officers and didn't say another word.

Don turned his attention back to his brother and reached for the blankets to cover him back up again. As he pulled up the blanket he noticed that his brother seemed to be breathing a lot faster than normal and it looked like he was falling asleep. The agent had developed an irrational fear of the younger man falling asleep…he was terrified that he would not wake up again.

"He squeezed the young man's shoulder and said "Charlie, wake up…you've got to stay awake ." When his brother didn't respond right away, he shook his shoulder lightly, "Charlie…come on…wake up."

Megan bent over him and brushed some wet curls from his forehead. "Charlie, come on, open those big brown eyes."

Charlie's eyes fluttered open and he brought a hand up to rub his forehead and then stopped. He brought his other hand up and held his hands in front of his face and stared at both of them in amazement.

"Donnie…look!" he rasped out and made eye contact with his brother.

"What is it Charlie?"

The young man ignored the question and held his hands up higher, then leaned his head back to so he could get a better look at his brother. "Don…I'm free…finally…free."

The agent was overcome by his brother's joy at finally having his hands untied so he just returned the smile and turned his head away briefly to wipe a wayward tear before it fell down his cheek.

He turned backed and patted his brother's shoulder and reached for his arms. "You need to stay under the blankets, bro. Your still way too cold" he said as he pulled the blankets back up around his brother's chin.

The agent was worried, Charlie's skin had a pale cast to it and he was beginning to cough more and more.

Megan shared a concerned look with Don, who was now straddling the bench next to his brother's head, a hand lightly resting on his shoulder.

"How long before we get to shore." he asked quietly.

"Another ten minutes…were almost there." she responded, just as quietly.

………………………………...

Twelve minutes later they pulled up alongside the dock. Walker tossed out the moor rope so the officers on shore could anchor the tender in place. The pilot and crewman were handed over to several FBI agents waiting on the dock.

Two paramedics immediately boarded and took charge of the injured man. After a cursory examination, one of the medics pulled out his radio and began talking to the hospital giving them Charlie's vital statistics and the specifics of his condition.

"His skin is cold and pale in appearance, bluish skin of the face, especially around the lips." The medic stopped to listen to a question. "Hold on, I'll check." After handing the phone to the other medic, he pulled out a stethoscope and listened to the young man's chest.

He looked back up at his partner, "Tell them that his breathing is shallow and I'm seeing some gasping respirations. He's coughing up some water with pink, frothy sputum and he appears to be very lethargic."

The medic looked around at the agents. "Can anyone tell me if this man had stopped breathing or was unconscious?""

"Yes, he did stop breathing." Don spoke up immediately. "When we first pulled him out of the water, he still had a pulse, but he wasn't breathing and he was unconscious."

His partner relayed the information and came back with another question. "They want to know if there are any other injuries.?"

Once again Don answered. "I think he hit the back of his head on a wall and he might have some broken ribs."

The medic performing the examination pulled out a pair of scissors and began cutting Charlie's tee shirt right up the middle. Gently peeling back the separate halves of the shirt he revealed a large black and blue bruise that covered most of the man's left side.

"It looks like you might be right, we'll need to keep him from moving too much until they can do some x-rays at the hospital. "

Turning back to his partner he said "Go get the stretcher and bring the oxygen tank. We need to get him on some oxygen fast." He took the phone as his partner left and moved off to the side to talk more with the hospital.

Don moved closer while the medic was busy on the phone and took hold of his brother's hand. He winced when he felt how cold it still was and looked in dismay at the red, raw marks around his wrist

Charlie squeezed his hand and he looked down into his brother's eyes.

"Hey, Don…..you okay?" his voice was hardly more than a whisper.

"I'm fine Charlie, you're the one were worried about." he responded quietly.

"Not…feeling…so good, hard ..to breathe." he said between gasps for air.

Panic-stricken, Don looked up at the paramedic, "Help him…he can't breathe!"

The other man rushed over just as his partner arrived with the oxygen tank. "Hurry, he needs oxygen….now!"

He quickly placed the oxygen mask over Charlie's face and after a few seconds the young man seemed to be breathing easier. The agents helped transfer him to the stretcher and then the medics covered him with another blanket before strapping him to the stretcher. The rain had finally stopped, but the wind was still whipping the cool air around them.

As soon as they were satisfied that the young man was secure, the medics carried him ashore, with the agents trailing closely behind them.

The paramedics loaded the professor into the ambulance and Don started to get in as well, but one of the attendants put up a hand to stop him. "I'm sorry sir, but you and the other two guys will need to ride in the other ambulance. The three of you were in the cold water too long and will need to be checked out at the hospital."

Pointing at Charlie, the older agent responded "That man is my brother and I will be riding with him and that is non-negotiable."

The medic looked at him momentarily before answering. "Okay, just give us a few minutes to get him settled in."

Megan put a hand on Don's arm. "I'll call Alan and Amita and give them the news and arrange for an agent to drive them to the hospital. I don't think either one of them are in any condition to get behind the wheel of a car."

Relief showed on his face and he ducked his head a moment to pull himself together.

"Thanks Megan. You know David and Colby will have to go in also and get checked out, that's going to leave you to handle everything. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine Don, just a little tired. I'll come down as soon as everything is taken care of here."

A sudden thought occurred to him, "What about Bashere? Has anyone found him yet?"

She brought a hand up and rubbed at her forehead and remarked, "No, nothing yet. I don't get it, he went down in the same spot as Charlie, you'd think they would have been found together."

Don sighed, "He would have been a fool to stay that close because he knew we were going to come after Charlie, so that gave him time to put some distance between us." Frowning at the memory he added "After all, his hands weren't tied, he could swim in any direction that he chose too…..still, that bullet wound should have slowed him down."

"Well, if were lucky, a shark got the scent of that blood he was leaking and decided to have him for breakfast." Colby sarcastically remarked.

"I don't think there are any sharks in the harbor Granger." Megan retorted dryly.

"Last night's storm could have brought some in." David suggested hopefully.

"See Megan." the junior agent smiled broadly. "Even David thinks there might be some sharks out there."

Before she could respond to his comment they were interrupted by the paramedic.

"Sir," he said, addressing the older agent., "We are ready to transport, if your coming with us you will need to get inside now."

Without another word, Don quietly followed the paramedic to the ambulance.

They had Charlie settled in now so Don climbed in and took a seat next to the stretcher. His younger brother turned his head toward him as he sat down and he gently took his hand ….it was still so very cold.

"It's going to be okay Charlie, we'll get you to the hospital and everything will be okay. You've got to stay awake for a little while longer though, can you do that for me….are you with me Buddy?:

Charlie couldn't talk with the oxygen mask on so he nodded his head tiredly and fought to keep his eyes open, trying to focus on his brother and do as he was asked.

One of the attendants closed the door and they headed out, sirens blazing and lights flashing.

………………………………...

Megan followed the departure of the ambulance with her eyes and watched as the second ambulance arrived.

Turning around to face the other agents she noticed that David's blanket was beginning to slip from his shoulders, so she pulled the ends together and had him hold them a little tighter.

"Thanks," he said. "Do you think he'll be okay…. I didn't like the blue color around his lips."

An uncomfortable silence developed between them… no one wanted to admit that the day could still end up with them losing their young friend.

"I hope so." she finally answered as she pulled her hair back. Taking a deep breath she looked at the two younger agents.

"It's your turn now, go and get yourselves checked out, I'll join you as soon as I can."

They tried to argue with her, they were fine, just a little cold, but she pulled rank and soon they were also on their way to the hospital. As she watched the second ambulance leave, her eye caught Lt Walker talking with the Coast Guard divers.

Agent Reeves pulled herself together and walked over to take command.


	14. Chapter 14

-1A/N: The disclaimer applies to all chapters of Out of Time.

Thank you for your reviews.

Chapter 14:

The dark sedan pulled up in front of the entrance to the Emergency Room at Cedar -Sinai Medical Center in downtown Los Angeles.

Alan had the door opened before the car came to a complete stop and one foot out of the car before the engine was turned off. He took off at a run with Amita following closely behind him and quickly hurried up to the nurse's station .

"Excuse me." he said to the nurse at the station. "My name is Alan Eppes, and my son was brought in, can you tell me where he is?

The nurse could see that he was in an agitated state and tried to calm him down.

"Sir….sir, please calm down. I'll take a look at the records and see if there is any information on him." She tapped at the keys on her computer for a few minutes and then looked back up at Alan. "I have two Eppes that were brought in sir, a Charles and a Don, which one is your son.?"

"Oh my God!" Alan exclaimed in dismay, "Both of them are my sons, I thought only Charlie was brought in."

The nurse stood up, walked around the desk and firmly took hold of Alan's arm. She lead him and Amita to the Emergency room waiting room.

"Please have a seat, I'll personally go back and see if I can find out anything for you. I promise I won't be gone long."

Alan leaned forward as he put his elbows on his knees and held his head in his hands. "Both of them….no…no…..no, it just can't be." he mumbled over and over to himself.

Amita sat in the chair next to him, her shoulders slumped forward and stared silently at the floor as she twisted her hands nervously in her lap.

They both started to rise when the nurse returned, but she waved for them to remain seated. She placed a comforting hand on Alan's forearm and spoke.

"I'm sorry Mr. Eppes, but both of your sons are still with the doctors. They'll notify you as soon as they know anything." As she turned to leave, she added. "I'll be at my station if you should need anything."

"Thank you for your kindness." Alan spoke quietly and leaned back in his seat. He would bide his time because it didn't matter how long it took, he wasn't leaving there until he saw his boys.

The room was crowded and noisy but neither Alan or Amita were aware of anything that was going on around them.

………………………………...

Don made his way back out to the emergency room waiting area. He had just been given an examination and got a clean bill of health, with the exception of a prescription for an antibiotic that he was supposed to take as a precaution against any infections that might occur from his early morning swim in the harbor.

His clothes were still damp from his swim, so he kept the blanket wrapped around himself to keep warm. At least he didn't have to walk around in wet socks, the nurse had been nice enough to give him a pair of paper shoes to wear.

The agent was just about to enter the waiting room when he spotted one of the young LAPD officers that had assisted in their rescue standing in the hallway talking to an attractive young nurse. He had never gotten the chance to thank him properly so he walked over to do it now. It wasn't until he was closer to them that he realized they were holding hands and having an intimate conversation.

The agent changed his mind and started to turn back around but the young officer had already spotted him. "Agent Eppes."

Realizing it was too late to make a discreet retreat, he turned back and quickly glanced at the officer's name tag as he held out his hand. "Officer Daniels, I'm sorry for the interruption. I didn't get a chance to thank you and your partner for pulling us out of the harbor and when I spotted you I just wanted to take the opportunity to do so."

The officer took his hand and shook it. "That's okay sir. Let me introduce you to my wife, Evelyn."

Don nodded his head in greeting, "It's nice to meet you. You have a good man here, he helped save a lot of people today."

"I think so too, and it's nice to meet you too, sir." she responded, blushing lightly.

"How is your brother…is he going to be all right?"

Don sighed "He is still with the doctors. Please thank your partner for me and if there is ever anything I can do for you, please call me."

They shook hands again and then Don left them and entered the waiting area. He looked around at all of the people and felt a little overwhelmed. A feeling of helplessness was coming over him and he felt his strength wavering.

Lost in thought, he didn't realize that David and Colby had joined him and was startled when David asked him a question.

"Don, any news on Charlie yet?"

The older agent just shook his head "No, haven't heard a thing since they brought us in, separated us right away. You guys okay?

"Yeah, just a little damp." Colby shrugged with a small grin, pulling his own blanket a little tighter.

"Just have to take an antibiotic." his partner threw in.

Don held up his prescription,, "Yeah, me too."

"Donnie!"

The agent looked up at the sound but not soon enough to stop himself from being wrapped up in a tight embrace.

"What happened…..are your all right?…..where's your brother?…why were you both brought to the hospital?"

Without giving him time to answer, Alan continued. "Why are all of your clothes wet?

The rapid fire questions left him momentarily speechless but he quickly answered the most important one.

"Dad….Dad….please sit down and I'll tell you everything." he said as he led his father and Amita to the nearest chairs. The elder Eppes did as his son requested and listened in silence as the agent explained the events of the morning.

"But he's going to be okay…..isn't he….Donnie?"

"I haven't heard anything yet, Dad. The doctor said he would be out as soon as they were finished. Charlie was awake the last time I saw him." he responded quietly. "That's all I know."

Alan nodded his head and resigned himself to waiting again. Charlie had been through so much and now he could be fighting for his life. He looked around the room and his eyes settled back on his oldest son. Don looked so tired, dark circles under his eyes, blanket wrapped around him and no shoes….no shoes….checking out the other two agents he realized they were all wearing paper shoes and he felt the need to show his gratitude to all of them.

"Thank you….for everything you did to get my son back. The three of you must be exhausted. Are you guys okay? He added , the concern evident in his voice.

"We're fine Mr Eppes." David responded with a small smile.

"Alan, remember, call me Alan." the older man corrected him.

"Alan" the agent conceded with another smile.

"Yeah," Colby added. "Nothing like a morning swim to wake a person up".

Suddenly they heard a familiar voice and all of them looked up to see Megan and Lt. Walker approaching them. Both of them had been soaked to the skin from the deluge and were now wearing jackets that said LAPD on the front of them and were struggling with three large plastic bags.

"Hey guys, do you know anything yet? Is he going to be all right?" she asked immediately as she put down the bag she was carrying and pulled back a strand of wet hair to tuck behind her ear.

"Nothing yet" Don responded quietly.

She nodded her head and handed each of the agents a plastic bag. "Courtesy of Lt. Walker and myself." she said with a smile. "We thought you guys might like to have these back."

Don opened his bag and found his shoes and the rest of his belongings that he had removed when he had jumped into the harbor. " Thanks," he answered as he quickly took off the blanket and put on his jacket, followed by his gun and other FBI paraphernalia and then with a sigh… he put on his shoes.

David's low murmur of thanks could barely be heard as he removed his things from the plastic bag.

Colby gleefully noted, "Hey, this is better than Christmas, thanks."

The senior agent stood up and took Megan by the elbow, moving her out of hearing distance of his father and Amita, and inquiring in a low voice, "Did you find him?"

As she shook her head and answered, David and Colby joined them.

"No sign of him, the divers are still looking and we have agents and the San Pedros police checking all along the dock and the surrounding area. It's just a matter of time, he was hurt, if he did manage to get out, he's going to need a doctor and we've notified all of the surrounding hospitals and medical facilities."

Her boss nodded his head thoughtfully. "What about the boat's themselves…..are they checking inside all of the boat's that were at the dock?"

"Everything, Eppes, boats, cars anything that was in or near the area. There's got to be a trace of him somewhere and by God, were going to find it!" Walker added adamantly.

"We need to get his photo out to the media, let the public help us catch this guy."

"We're already on that Don. There should be something on the next news broadcast." the pretty agent responded.

She nudged her friend when she saw a nurse walking in their direction.

Agent Eppes?

"I'm Eppes and this is my father." he added as Alan quickly joined him with Amita closely beside him.

"How is my son….can I see him now? Alan asked immediately.

"I'm sorry, if you'll come with me I'll take you to the physician taking care of your son. He will be able to tell you what you want to know."

Don turned to Amita and took her hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze. "As soon as we know something, I'll come back and let you know, okay?"

She numbly shook her head and it looked as if she was about to start crying again.

Megan put an arm around her and said. "We'll stay with her, I'm not going anywhere until I know how he's doing."

Don gave her an appreciative smile and turned and left with his father.

They anxiously followed the nurse to a small office opposite the emergency room cubicles. As she opened the door she introduced the attending physician.

"This is Dr. Tolani, Doctor this is the patients father and brother." and with that brief introduction she excused herself and left the room, closing the door behind her.

"Please have a seat," the doctor motioned toward two chairs in front of his desk. They sat down and waited for him to continue.

"First, let me tell you what we do know." Picking up a chart from his desk he glanced at it and then back at the Eppes.

"We know that he has a mild concussion and two broken ribs. He is in some pain because of this but I hesitate to give him any meds at this time because of the concussion. Broken ribs usually heal in about one or two months and rest should take care of the concussion. However, it's the near drowning occurrence that has us extremely concerned. Any information that you can give me on how this happened will be helpful."

Don cleared his throat and spoke quietly. "Dr. Tolani, my brother was kidnapped and beaten…..it took us almost twenty-six hours to find him and during the rescue attempt, the kidnapper pulled him into the water…while his hands were still tied behind his back."

His throat constricted and he had to clear it again. "I didn't think that I was going to find him in time…I almost didn't." he bowed his head unable to go on.

The doctor appeared to be mesmerized by the story he had just heard and he took a closer look at the two men sitting in front of him. The dark circles under the eyes, the strained look on their faces and the exhaustion apparent in the slump of their shoulders. He couldn't imagine what they had already been through and what he was about to tell them wasn't going to make it any easier.

"He is stable at the moment but I feel that I must warn you that many near-drowning victims survive the initial rescue only to succumb to complications later." he stopped speaking for a moment to give them some time to absorb what he had said.

"Are you telling me that my son is going to die?!" Alan panicked, starting to rise out of the chair. "I need to see my son…I need to see Charlie!"

Don grabbed his Dad's forearm to hold him still, then turning to the physician he asked in a barely controlled voice.

"No, you didn't say that, right? What kind of complications are you talking about?"

Dr. Tolani held up a hand to try and calm them down.

"I'm sorry, that came out the wrong way. It's true that many people don't survive a near drowning occurrence and it is a probability that I had to make you aware of."

The Doctor opened the chart once again and he looked up at them and removed his glasses.

"What you need to know is that we are going to do our best to help him survive. Over the next twenty four hours we will monitor him for a number of symptoms. We will be watching for signs of hypoxemia, this occurs when water enters the lungs. It only takes a small amount of water to damage the lungs and interfere with the body's oxygen intake."

"We will also keep a close eye on his blood to monitor for blood acidity (acidosis) another consequence of near-drowning. A substantial increase or decrease in the volume of circulating blood will also be monitored. He is already showing symptoms of hypothermia, this is a severe drop in body temperature and we have already taken measures to counter this and protect his heart." he added rapidly as Alan paled considerably.

"Rapid-breathing, rapid-heartbeat and a low-grade fever are common during the first few hours and he has already begun to experience these symptoms. These symptoms are not usually fatal so try not to be too alarmed at this when you see him. If all goes well, these symptoms should clear up before the twenty four hour period."

He stood up and walked around to the front of his desk and sitting himself down on the corner he continued speaking.

"It will take us at least another twelve hours to determine if there has been any damage to his lungs," his voice became softer as he spoke, "and you need to know that the major long-term concern in near-drowning victims is neurological damage."

"No!" Don's heartfelt cry interrupted the doctor. "That can't happen to Charlie!"

Alan squeezed his eyes shut to try and hold back the tears and grabbed Don's hand and held it even tighter. Opening his eyes again he nodded to the doctor.

"Doctor….please…continue." he said in a broken voice.

"Listen to me, your son was awake when he arrived, not as alert as I would have liked him to be, but nevertheless he was awake. This is a good sign." he paused to give them time to consider what he was saying. "There is a ninety percent chance that he will survive with his brain functions intact because he was awake and a good chance that he will make a complete recovery, so don't give up hope. "

He paused again and rubbed at his chin. "There is one puzzling aspect, however."

With trepidation in his heart, Alan asked the question. "What is it doctor?"

Leaning back to pick up his chart, the doctor referred to it before answering.

"It's his level of brain activity. I've never seen one this high before. It should be extremely low after the near-drowning occurrence but it's literally "off the charts. I may have to prescribe a sedative for him after all."

The doctor was not prepared for the smiles he encountered when he brought his head up to face the victim's father and brother. He was actually at a loss for words at their reaction to his statement.

Alan wiped a tear from his eye and smiled at the physician. "That would be normal for my son. Charlie is a certified genius, no sedative is necessary. My son would be interested in how you arrived at your probability percentages, he's a professor of Applied Mathematics at Calsci."

"Genius?" he looked at the name at the top of the chart, Charles Edward Eppes and looked back at the men sitting in the chairs. "You mean this is the Dr. Charles Edward Eppes?"

Don's smile grew even larger, "The one and only…my little brother." he proudly stated.

Dr. Tolani shook his head in amazement and murmured ruefully, "Well, that's certainly explains how he could give me the percentages without the use of a calculator."

Alan cleared his throat, "So….so.. Charlie is totally aware of his condition?"

"Oh yes, of course. We've discussed it in detail and now he needs to rest. However, he is trying to stay awake until he sees you." The physician stood up and motioned for them to follow him. "We shouldn't keep him waiting any longer."

They left the office and took an elevator to the third floor .

"We've put him in a private room and I'll take you there now." The doctor continued speaking as they left the elevator. " He will receive oxygen until his blood tests are normal and when you enter his room you will see that he is attached to a number of machines, but don't be alarmed, as I told you, we are going to monitor his heart and oxygen levels ."

They stopped a few moments later in front of a room and the doctor turned to face them.

"The next twenty-four hours are critical, hopefully none of the fatal symptoms will develop." He nodded to both of them and started to walk away but then turned back to face them.

"This is against the rules but under the circumstances I'll make an exception. I'll have someone bring some comfortable chairs into his room and the two of you can stay with him during this time."

"Thank you doctor." The elderly Eppes called after him and then opened to the door to his son's room.

………………………………...

Don and Alan were not quite prepared for how Charlie looked…. they were a little overwhelmed by the sight that materialized in front of them.

Charlie was covered up in warming blankets to help bring his core temperature back to normal, an oxygen canula was attached to his nose and several IV bags were dripping various types of fluids into his body. A pulse oximeter was attached to one of his fingers and the machine was giving off beeps as it registered the oxygen level in his blood. The heart monitor was beeping at an incredible speed, reminding them of his rapid heart beat.

They quickly covered the distance to his bedside and Alan leaned over and tenderly brushed a curl from his son's forehead, careful not to touch any of the equipment..

Charlie opened his eyes at the feather touch and smiled at the sight of his father and brother. "You guys… are real…right?" he asked "No hallucinations…. or anything?" his voice was low and raspy and the rapid breathing caused him to pause between his words.

"Were very real Charlie," his father answered, "and were going to stay right here until we can take you home," and to prove his point, he found a chair and put it beside the bed and sat down.

"Your going to be all right Buddy, in twenty four hours we'll be able to take you home." Don added as he pulled the blanket up a little closer to his brother's chin.

"You spoke…with the… Doctor, right.?

"Yeah, he told us everything, but your going to beat this. All you need is a little rest."

"Listen" he answered tiredly, "If this… takes a turn …. for the worst…I mean….if something happens…I…just want …you guys to know….how much… I love you both."

Don frowned, but quickly responded with "I love you too, Charlie, but don't do this, your going to make it, so don't even think like that."

Alan quickly stood up next to Don, and lifting the blanket he found his son's hand and squeezed it gently. "Charlie, you know I love you, and I know you will fight this, so no more of this talk, okay?"

"Okay" the young man answered quietly. Shifting his eyes to meet his brother's he added.

"I knew.. you would… come…for me…. did Amita …figure out ..the equation? Sorry, I'm ..getting…. really sleepy…." his eyes fluttered momentarily as he tried to stay awake but fatigue finally won out and his head lolled slowly to the side before he could get any answers to his questions.

Alan panicked and started to check his breathing but Don put an arm out to stop him.

"The machines aren't going crazy Dad, so I think he's just fallen asleep. Listen, Dad, I'm going to go and let the others know what's going on and bring Amita up for a little while. I'll bring you back some coffee. I won't be gone very long. Would you like me to bring you anything else?"

The older man shook his head silently and settled back in the chair, his eyes never leaving his youngest son's face.

Don quietly left the room and headed for the elevator.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Don stepped from the elevator and walked quickly to the waiting area. His friends spotted him before he managed to take more than a few steps into the room and he soon found himself surrounded.

He spoke quietly and explained the situation to them and when he was finished there were fresh tears running down Amita's face.

"You guys should go home and get some rest, it's been a tough couple of days." he rubbed at his face before continuing. " Dad and I will be staying here with Charlie."

"Don, why don't I swing by your apartment and get you some dry clothes?" David asked. "It's going to be a long night man, you might as well be comfortable."

Don pulled his keys out and handed them over. "Thanks, that would be really great."

"I should really get back upstairs."

He reached over and took Amita's hand, "Come with me, I'll take you up to see him."

She eagerly walked with him toward the elevator and as he pressed the button he thought to himself, "_Man, another twenty-four hours to wait, I'm really beginning to hate that number." _

It was going to be another long night but at least this time they were all going to be together.


	15. Chapter 15

-1A/N: All disclaimers from Chapter 1 apply to this chapter.

Thank you for your reviews.

Chapter 15:

Don sighed and closed the folder on his desk. Three weeks to the day since his brother's kidnapping and they were still tying up loose ends.

The three men involved in the original abduction were all dead. Justice served as far as he was concerned….got what they deserved for doing that to his brother, not to mention the fact that it would save the government a lot of money since they didn't have to prosecute them. Ballistics proved that Duque had killed the man in the garage which didn't surprise any of them since he had a habit of killing off his partners. The FBI had shot Duque in self-defense and Carl Mittendorf had been taken out by Bashere.

The FBI technicians had backtracked to four sites and had identified the people that had taken part in the auction. Charges had been brought against them and their equipment confiscated, but they would probably just be fined for illegal violations of FCC rulings since money hadn't actually exchanged hands.

Glancing at his watch, he turned out his light and headed for the elevator. His team had already left and he had promised his Dad and Charlie that he would be home in time for dinner. As he stepped aboard the elevator and pressed the lobby button his thoughts turned back to the case.

The major loose end was Bashere himself. They had found traces of blood along with his wet clothing on one of the boats at the dock. The first aid kit had been used and there were bloody cloths laying around the bathroom. The owner of the boat had also reported that some of his clothes were missing as well.

To the chagrin of the FBI and the local police, the man had escaped during the storm while the search was still in progress. The authorities had traced a cab to the marina and his fare had matched Bashere's profile. More embarrassing was where the man's destination had been. The cab had dropped him off right in front of the Los Angeles's FBI headquarters. The man was playing with them.

Security cameras showed him exiting the cab and while standing in front of the main surveillance camera he gave them a salute, then turned and walked around the corner and joined the rest of the population of Los Angeles and that had been the last reported sighting of him. Despite his photograph and description posted everywhere there had been no other contact.

Bashere's yacht had been seized and would eventually be sold.. His crew had been deported back to France and his two henchmen were still awaiting deportation back to their homeland. All of his holdings in the U.S had been seized , as well as an estate that he had purchased in the Hollywood hills on the very morning that he had taken Charlie.

Apparently his own country's legal officials had been suspicious of him on certain issues but had been unable to act due to the lack of evidence. Once they received notice of the kidnapping and murder charges against the man they had immediately frozen all of his assets and properties and started their own investigation into the man's activities.

As Don pulled out onto the 10, he couldn't help but wonder where Bashere was now and that made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. It was just a matter of time, they would get him, sooner or later, hopefully sooner.

He knew Charlie was still looking over his shoulder and until they found the man and put him behind bars, his brother would be on edge and he couldn't fault him for that. Charlie had told him of Bashere's plans and Don could understand the anxiety he felt knowing that the man still eluded the police.

They had been so lucky. If Bashere hadn't decided to buy the estate that morning, his yacht would have been in international waters long before Don and his team had arrived at the Marina. They would never know why Mittendorf didn't find out about the equation earlier but if he had, Amita never would have gotten the finished equation and they would never have found the source of the signal. So many if's, and Don put them all down to just "plain dumb luck."

It didn't take him long to get to Pasadena and soon he was pulling into his brother's driveway. He turned off his car and grabbed the small shopping bag that was lying in the passenger seat next to him.

Things were slowly getting back to normal. He had been coming over more often in the evenings for dinner and sometimes sleeping over. With Bashere on the loose, he felt better being close by although he didn't tell his Dad or Charlie the real reason he was coming over.

Charlie had been lucky and those complications the doctor had warned them about had never developed. His ribs were on the mend and he was eager to go back to work although he had to wait another week before the doctor would give him the okay and this was driving him crazy and Don knew his brother needed to get back into his routine.

He let himself in and was pleased to note that his family had started locking the door as he had suggested. On the way in he took off his coat and started rolling up his sleeves.

"Dad?" "Charlie?"

"In the kitchen, Donnie." his father answered.

He picked up the shopping bag and pushed open the kitchen door.

"Hey, Dad." he greeted as he headed for the refrigerator and opening the door he grabbed a beer "Where's Charlie?

"Ah, I think he's out by the Koi pond." his father answered, "said something about needing a little space. What have you got there Donnie?"

"Just a little something for Charlie."

Taking a closer look at his Dad, he suddenly got the impression that he might be the reason his brother was outside.

"What's up Dad, did you do something to cause him to "need a little space?" he asked watching his father's face closely.

Sure enough, Alan broke eye contact with him and looked away.

"No, of course not, all I did was suggest that….maybe….it would…you know….be a good idea for your brother to hire a bodyguard…just until you catch that guy….that's all."

Rolling his eyes, Don opened the refrigerator and grabbed another beer. "Yeah, I can see that happening. Dad, give me a few minutes with him and then come join us." that said, he headed out the back door .

Charlie was sitting cross-legged on the ground in front of the pond. As he approached his brother, Don glanced longingly at the folded lawn chair behind him but decided that he would have to sit on the ground too if he was going to get anything out of Charlie. Sighing inwardly, he sat down beside him.

The younger man didn't seem to notice him as he sat down, he was lost in his own thoughts and his eyes were focused on something that he was twirling around in his hands.

"Charlie?" he asked quietly, not wanting to startle him.

"Hey, Don." his brother answered without looking up.

"What's up…you okay?' he nudged the young man's knee with the beer bottle and handed it over to him. "Here, I thought you might need one right about now."

"Thanks" he said as he twisted open the bottle and took a drink before sitting it down on the ground.

Don recognized the ring that he was twirling around in his hands as the one that he had found in Charlie's bag and was surprised to realize that he had forgotten all about it after the rescue.

"Hey, what have you got there?" he asked pretending to be surprised.

Before the younger man could respond, they were startled by the sound of the excited voice of Alan Eppes.

"Charlie, I can't believe it ! This is wonderful, finally we'll get to have a wedding here . Wow! Look at the size of that thing."

Neither of them had heard his approach and Don had been so surprised that he had almost reached for his gun.

"Gee, Dad, you nearly gave me a heart attack." his eldest complained.

In the meantime his youngest was desperately trying to get a word in, waving his arms to get his father's attention. "No…Dad….wait….Dad….stop. . wait…it's….it's not the same now."

Puzzled, Alan shared a glance with Don, "I don't understand, what's not the same and that's why you bought the ring, isn't it?"

Sighing, Charlie answered , "Yes, that was why I bought the ring but things have changed now. There are variables that I hadn't considered before. Of course, I wasn't aware that they existed so therefore I couldn't have taken them into consideration."

It was Don's turn to give him that puzzled look. "What kind of variables?" he took another swig of beer while he waited for his answer.

"Well, remember that day….you know…the day I was kidnapped."

"Of course we do Charlie. I don't think either of us will every forget it, but what does that have to do with this?" his brother queried.

"Well, that day Amita and I were going hiking after work, and that's when I was going to propose to her." he smiled sadly, twirling the ring around his little finger. "I was even going to take some wine with us, so we could have a toast. But since the incident, I've come to realize that I would be putting her in danger if I asked her to marry me."

"Danger?" Alan repeated his words. "How could marrying you put her in danger. That's ridiculous Charlie!"

Ignoring his father's comment, the young man turned and looked at his brother. "You know, I totally get what you meant now Don, I didn't then, but now I do."

Holding his hands up in front of him to forestall the next remark from his father, Don tried to figure out where his brother was going with this.

"Your going to have to be a little more specific Chuck, because I don't know what your referring to."

Charlie tilted his head a little and answered. "Do you remember that case a couple of years ago that involved a judge's wife being murdered because of a ruling her husband had made?"

"Yeah…so?"

"Well, during the course of the investigation, while we were having dinner one evening, Dad and I tried to encourage you to date that District Attorney and you said that you didn't want to because in your line of work, someone you loved could get hurt, just like the judge's wife. I understand that now and don't call me Chuck."

"Charlie, look….that falls into my territory, in my line of work I make enemies, but that's not the same as yours. You know, I've been thinking that maybe you should reconsider consulting for us."

Shaking his head, Charlie went on to explain.

"Don, it's the nature of your job that makes you a target. For me, it's who I am, not what I do, that makes me a target and that's something that I can't change. My gift…the things I can do are what put me at risk, not who I'm consulting for."

He paused and took a drink of his beer. "The recent events have proven that to me and to you guys as well, even if you don't want to admit it."

Alan shifted a little so he could get a better look at his son's face, his knees cracking as he moved. "Look, Charlie, couldn't what happened be considered an anomaly? I mean, what are the odds of something like that happening again?" He looked at Don hoping for some support but was disappointed by the expression that he saw on his face.

"It could be considered an anomaly Dad, considering all of the events that had to come together for it to take place; the odds are extremely low for this type of event to take place again.."

His father smiled and patted him on the knee, "See, so you can stop worrying about it, right?"

His youngest shook his head again and Alan's smile faded as he went on with his explanation..

"Dad, this is just one scenario that almost came to fruition, besides Bashere is still out there and like it or not, he's still a threat. Isn't that right Don?" he asked turning toward his brother.

Don swallowed thickly and took a drink as he looked at his father and brother. When he spoke it was with regret in his voice.

"Yeah, Charlie, he's still out there. We figure he must have some local contacts that have helped him; otherwise there would be some trace of him. He had to have medical care but it has to be from someone that's not reporting it." He stopped talking long enough to take another drink of his beer.

"Once we get more data on him you might be able to tell us where we should look….you know….maybe find out who some of his contacts are."

"Don, do you remember the Heisenberg principle?"

The young man continued without waiting for an answer. "An object cannot be observed without changing what is being observed. He knows that we are looking for him, so he will change his patterns."

He looked thoughtfully at his brother before continuing. "You know, since I've been working with you I have become more aware of the bad elements out there….and this is a good thing." he added quickly before his brother could become defensive. "I'm not always lost in that "bubble" like I used to be." he stopped to take another drink.

"As I was saying, I know there are some really bad people in this world, but this man, he's the worst of them, pure evil." he couldn't suppress a shudder as he thought of him.

"Do you guys know why he killed Carl Mittendorf?

Not really expecting an answer he went on. "It wasn't because the man hurt me, it was because in Bashere's mind he already owned me and Mittendorf had damaged his rare acquisition… his words… not mine. Just an object to be taken out of the vault for his own pleasure." the last sentence spoken through his clenched teeth, and all three of the Eppes men shuddered at that statement.

Charlie took another drink. " He is a threat to me and anyone I love and that includes the two of you as well."

"Hey!" his brother spoke up quickly. "Don't go getting any ideas about leaving us behind, because I can tell you right now, that is so not going to happen."

Charlie grinned at him, "Like I'd even have a chance to do that, you'd have the FBI all over me.

Don returned his grin, "Yeah, well don't forget that little bro."

"Charlie, if you feel that way, then why not get a bodyguard? You know, just until they catch this guy. " Alan asked, seizing another opportunity to get his son to change his mind.

"Don't you see Dad, if I do that and change my lifestyle because of him, then I will still be his prisoner. I'll be letting him continue to have control over me."

Seeing the disappointed look on his father's face reminded him of the anguish that he and his brother must have gone through so he quickly came up with a compromise.

"I'll make you a deal. I'll take some self-defense classes instead and I'll check into getting an alarm system for the house. Hey, you know, it would be a good idea if you took the classes with me. I think CalSci is offering some self-defense classes this semester. I'll check the schedules tomorrow."

Alan sighed, he could see that he wasn't going to change his son's mind. "Okay, Charlie, it's a deal."

"No, I have a better idea."

Surprised they both turned to look at Don.

"The FBI offers a better self-defense course and because Charlie is a consultant for us and Dad since you've helped us out on some cases too, I think I can get you both in one of our courses."

"All right, Donnie, you just let us know when and we'll be there." Alan said as he clapped his youngest on the shoulder. "Right, Charlie."

Rolling his eyes at his brother the youngest Eppes stood up in one fluid motion, putting the ring in his pants pocket and bringing the conversation to an end.

"Anywho, if were going to have steaks tonight I better get the grill started. Dad, need a hand up?" he asked.

"Thanks, Charlie." Alan replied taking his son's hand and pulling himself up. "I'll go and get the steaks ready." and without another word, he headed for the kitchen.

Looking down at his brother, his eye's started to twinkle and a mischievous grin slowly began to spread across his face.

"How about you, old man, need a hand to get up?"

"Hey, who are you calling an old man?" Don responded as he took hold of his hand. Instead of pulling himself up right away, he glanced at the pond and then back at the younger man.

Following his gaze Charlie warned him, "Don't even think about it. There's a ninety nine percent chance that we'll both go in if you try it."

The thought of getting soaked quickly changed his mind so he gave in and let his brother help pull him up.

"Oh, I've got something for you." he said as he handed over the shopping bag.

Curious, the younger man took the bag, tucked his beer bottle under his other arm and cautiously opened it . He grinned as he pulled out a tee shirt, just like the one that had been ruined by the paramedics a few weeks before.

"Thanks, Don."

"Your welcome, just don't let anything happen to this one or I'll start thinking that you don't like my birthday presents."

Hooking an arm around his brother's neck, he led him back toward the house. "Come on, I'm getting hungry, let's get that grill started."

"Yeah, red meat!" his brother chuckled.

………………………………...

_He stretched out his hand to take hers and pulled her up the slope to stand next to him._

_The couple stood for a moment just looking down into the valley and then removed their backpacks and sat down next to a boulder to use as a backrest. _

_The view was incredible, and Charlie wasn't thinking about the valley below them. His eyes were focused on the woman sitting next to him. He put his arm around her and pulled her closer to his body and bending his head down near hers, he pressed her lips with a slow, lingering kiss._

"_That was nice." she said quietly and looked into his eyes._

_His soft, sensuous brown eyes gazed back at her and this time she initiated the kiss. After several long kisses, she sighed and laid her head on his shoulder and they sat that way as the sun set, content just to be in each other's arms. _

_The stars came out and the moon lit up the valley and the surrounding area._

"_Amita, are you awake?" the young man softly inquired._

"_Yes, Charlie, it's just so nice to be sitting here with you." she quietly responded._

_He smiled and took her hand in his; he held her hand palm up and pressed it against his lips and a smile spread across her face. As he lowered her hand he placed something in it and held it closed._

_Puzzled she looked down at her hand but before she could open it, Charlie cupped her chin and turned her face toward his._

"_Amita, will you marry me?" he asked her breathlessly as he watched her face closely._

_Surprise crossed her features and then her face just lit up and she grabbed his head between her hands and began passionately kissing him. When he was finally able to catch his breath, he asked her laughingly, "Can I take that as a yes?"_

"_Oh, Charlie! Yes, yes, yes." she answered excitedly. _

"_You can open your hand now." he said before giving her another kiss. " I love you, Amita."_

"_I love you so much." she whispered and then opened her hand. Her eyes widened at the sight of the ring and she looked back at him. "Charlie, it's so big, it must have cost you a fortune.!"_

_He kissed her again and put the ring on her finger. "Do you like it?" he asked. "You can exchange it if you want something different."_

"_I love it, I wouldn't exchange it for anything." _

"_Look there." he said, pointing to a spot on the ring. "There's a fractal pattern…." he started to say and stopped as she grinned at him. "What?" he asked surprised._

_She shook her head slightly and still smiling answered, "Only you would see a fractal pattern in a diamond." Noticing his sudden embarrassment she added, "And I wouldn't have you any other way, Charlie Eppes. That's another part of you that I have fallen in love with and I want the whole package."_

_His smile returned and he took her in his arms and closed his eyes as he kissed the future Mrs. Charlie Eppes._

Charlie opened his eyes and was confused until he realized that he had been dreaming; he groaned and turned over onto his side.

"_Wow, it seemed so real." _That was how he had planned it to happen on that fateful day four weeks ago. He tried to go back to sleep, to recapture the dream, but it was too late, he was wide awake now.

Throwing back the covers he sat up and put his feet on the floor. He ran his hands over is face and through his hair as he stood up and glancing at the clock, he sighed when he realized that it was only 2:00 a.m. He could feel a headache coming on and decided to grab some aspirin and then try and go back to sleep.

Padding barefoot down the hallway in a tee shirt and pajamas, he quietly started down the stairs. He was halfway down, when he thought he heard a noise coming from the dining room. His heart began to beat faster, _had someone broken in_? _What if it's Bashere_!" his thoughts were whirling. Swallowing hard he continued down the stairs, trying to remember if there was anything that he could use as a weapon. "_Dad's golf clubs….by the door…I could get one of them."_

At the bottom of the stairs, he hesitated and slowly crept toward the noise and…..sighed in relief when he saw his brother sitting at the table looking through a folder.

"What are you doing here so late?" he asked as he walked through to the kitchen., grinning as he realized that he had startled him.

Quickly gaining his composure Don countered with "What are you doing up so early?"

The door swung open again and the younger man returned with a bottled water and a bottle of aspirin.

Pulling out a chair he sat down across from his brother and opening the aspirin bottle he shook two pills out into the palm of his hand.; he quickly took them and washed them down with the water. .

'Headache, huh? Don frowned, "Or a bad dream?"

Charlie was always amazed at his brother's skills at accessing someone's body language, but of course, that went along with being an FBI agent.

"Both." he shrugged, "but not a bad dream."

Don's eyes crinkled as his face broke into a smile, "Oh…one of those dreams…..must have been a really good one, huh….maybe you should go take a cold shower."

Charlie returned his grin and just said "Shut up."

Deciding to change the subject before his brother could ask any more questions, he reached toward the folder.

"You have a new case?"

"No," Don said quickly as he pulled the folder out of his brother's reach. "Just closing an old one."

Charlie's lighthearted manner disappeared and he nodded his head at the folder. "My case?" he asked.

"Yeah, sorry Buddy, I have to turn it over to fugitive recovery tomorrow…wanted to make sure it was all finished. I'd like for Coop to get the case but there's no way to know who will be assigned to it."

Charlie was nervously tearing the label off of the water bottle in his hands and looked up to see the worried look in his brother's eyes.

"It's okay, Don. I know that they will catch him eventually." he remarked quietly. He really didn't want to have this conversation now so he stood up and stretched.

"Well, I think I'll head back to bed. Your staying over, right? It's too late to go back to your apartment now."

Don closed the folder and stood up, "Yeah, might as well hit the sack."

They quietly headed back up the stairs and as they whispered good night, they heard a noise coming from their father's room.

"Is Dad okay?" Don whispered anxiously.

Charlie shrugged and tip toed toward the door, he turned the knob slowly so he wouldn't make any noise and opened it just enough so they could see if he was okay.

The older Eppes appeared to be having a bad dream and he was talking in his sleep.

Both boys began to grin as they heard what Alan was saying.

"_But boys, you can't expect me to watch all nine of the kids! Don, Charlie, you come back here!" _he continued to mumble as the brothers quietly backed out of the room.

The brothers had been under an enormous amount of stress in the weeks following the kidnapping and the resulting emotional release brought about by Alan's statement was instantaneous.

Charlie and Don never stood a chance.

They staggered into the hallway, laughing uncontrollably, trying to keep the noise level down so they wouldn't wake Alan up, but they were rapidly losing that battle.

Charlie's eyebrows rose as he turned toward his brother and mouthed the word "nine" and started laughing again.

"Oh, man." Don chortled, wiping away his tears of laughter. "Nine grandchildren, sounds like Dad has his hands full."

Charlie nodded as he wiped his own tears away and gasped , "I'm thinking… it might be awhile before… he brings it up again." and as they burst into another fit of merriment, he leaned against the wall and slid down to the floor unable to control his laughter.

Don slid down the wall opposite him, clutching at his sides and trying to catch his breath.

"Hey bro… what do you think …the probabilities are? he whispered, gasping for air between the giggling. "Five for you and…. four for me."

Charlie rolled his eyes and snickered., "Too many variables…more like seven for you and two for me."

"What's going on? " A surprised voice demanded from further up the hallway.

They both turned simultaneously to see their father standing beside his door, dressed in his pajamas with his hands on his hips an his hair in total disarray.

Don immediately did what all big brothers do, he blamed it on his younger brother. He covered his mouth to try and hide his grin as he scrambled back up to his feet but it was a lost cause.

"Hey, Dad," he said, grinning from ear to ear, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "It's Charlie's fault….you know how he is…once he start's laughing… it's contagious." He tried covering his mouth again but lost control and laughed out loud.

Alan crossed his arms and asked, "Really, and exactly what did he do that was so funny?"

Meanwhile, Charlie had struggled back to his feet and was almost to his door and would have made it but temptation got the better of him. Throwing a mischievous look over his shoulder at his brother, he stopped and patted his father on the shoulder.

"Be careful …what you wish for Pop," he said, as he fought to hold back the laughter, "nine can be a really large number in….. some circumstances." He said the last two words really fast as he opened his door and barely gasped out a recognizable good night before he slammed the door shut.

The hysterical laughter that erupted from the other side of the door was enough to make Don lose complete control.

"What was Charlie talking….? Alan started to ask only to become speechless as he watched his big, tough, FBI agent son frantically trying to get into his room, giggling and fumbling with the door knob.

"Night .. Dad," he gasped out as he mimicked his brothers actions and slammed his door shut.

Once again Alan heard peals of laughter coming from behind a door, this time it was Don's door.

Shaking his head in disbelief he turned to go back into his room, only to be stopped by another outburst from Charlie's room, immediately followed by one from Don's room.

Don had been right about one thing, Charlie's laughter was indeed infectious and as he closed his door he began to laugh out loud right along with his sons.

He climbed back into bed and as he pulled the covers up over himself he could still hear the muffled laughter coming from his son's rooms and for the first time in a very long time, Alan Eppes fell asleep with a smile upon his face.

………………………………...

A/N: This story is almost finished, an Epilogue will follow in a few days.


	16. Chapter 16

-1

A/N: All disclaimers from Chapter 1 apply to this chapter.

"As my penname implies, this is the first story that I have written for fan fiction. I am an avid reader, however, and have read may wonderful stories at this site."

"I would like to thank everyone who has read my story and add a special thank you to those of you who have also taken the time to review it as well. Your reviews have encouraged me to continue on and have made this a very rewarding experience."

With my heartfelt thanks, Vicki

Epilogue:

Leaning against his car in the parking lot outside the Math building on the CalSci campus, Colby was once again rethinking his decision to go through with this meeting.

When Che Lobo Santiago had asked him to arrange a meeting with Charlie, Colby's first reaction had been a definite "no" but when Santiago had explained his reason , the agent had agreed that it might not be such a bad idea after all.

He had received a call from the latino asking him if he would come to his estate to meet with him and out of curiosity he had done so. It had also given him the opportunity to thank the man for helping them find Charlie.

The real surprise was the reason for his visit.

Santiago had asked him to arrange a meeting for him with the Professor and then had had taken Colby up to his son's room.

"_Joe's over at a friend's house right now, but maybe this will explain why I would like for my son to meet Professor Eppes." _

Opening the door and switching on the light, he had led the way into the room. It had looked like any normal boy's room with one exception. Instead of posters of sports and music stars there was a poster of Albert Einstein and one of Steven Hawking but the ones that had really gotten his attention, were the three posters of Dr. Charles Eppes.

Colby was speechless, of all the reasons he had imagined this one had never occurred to him and more to himself than Santiago, he had mumbled, "_Charlie never told me that he had some posters made."_

The latino had laughed and confessed to having the posters made for his son from magazine covers that Charlie had appeared on.

"_My son loves Math and Science and has been a big fan of Dr. Eppes ever since he was seven years old, so when I found out who I had helped to rescue, I thought maybe he would meet with us."_

"_Agent Granger I wasn't lying to you when I said that I wanted a better life for my son and I encourage him to look up to people like the Professor instead of people from my old neighborhood." He paused, and made eye contact with Colby. _

"_Do you think he would meet with us? It would mean a lot to Joe to actually meet one of his heroes."_

Momentarily at a loss for words, he had pretended to look at the posters. Finally, turning back to Santiago he had simply stated. _"I can't speak for Dr. Eppes,, but I will ask him."_

………………………………

It had taken him several days to get up enough nerve to ask the mathematician about it. After all, Santiago was still under investigation from several federal agencies and still had some connections to a few of the L.A. gangs in the area.

True, it was those connections that had eventually lead to Charlie's rescue, but nevertheless, he wasn't sure if it was such a good idea to introduce his remarkable friend to someone with Santiago's reputation.

Ultimately, it was the boy and the fact that meeting Charlie might help turn the young boy's future away from gang violence and toward a better way of life that convinced him that he should do it..

With this in mind he had driven to the old Craftsman house to ask Charlie if he would consider meeting with them. Don's SUV had been sitting in the driveway and at first he thought he would come back later, but then he had decided that it would be better to ask the mathematician with his brother present. That way, there couldn't be any misunderstandings when he did find out.

Don had reacted exactly as he thought he would, over-protective big-brother kicking in immediately, adamantly saying that _"there is no way in hell, that I will allow Charlie to meet with a known gang leader!" _

This decree had elicited an equally resolute statement from his brother.

"_Allow…Allow me! If I choose to do this, it will be my decision and mine alone. I do not need your permission!" _

In the end Don had conceded that it was his brother's decision and for Charlie the chance of helping a gifted child find the right path won out over any doubt's that Don had presented to him.

………………………………...

The agent's thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of a "pimped-up" SUV; that's what Colby called it anyway.

With a quick glance back at the Math building, Colby straightened up and walked over to meet Santiago and his son.

The driver of the car got out and opened the rear passenger door. Che Lobo Santiago emerged and as he straightened up he caught Colby's eye and gave him a nod. He said something to the driver and then spoke to someone in the interior of the car. The other passenger door opened and a small boy got out carrying a magazine . He walked around the car to join his father.

They exchanged greetings with the agent and followed him inside the building.

The meeting was set for 7:30 p.m. and a glance at his watch showed Colby that they were right on schedule. All classes were over for the day and the hallways were empty save for the occasional student doing extra work.

As they approached Charlie's office they could hear several voices coming from inside the room. His office door was open and they could see the Professor and a student deep in a discussion and not wanting to interrupt they quietly waited just inside the door.

Charlie was standing at one of the blackboards explaining an equation to a female student; she nodded her head in understanding, thanked the professor and started gathering up her books.

"If you are still having a problem with it, come by tomorrow before class and we'll go over it again but I think you have the proper application now."

Smiling, she called out "Thanks Professor" as she left the room.

They stepped aside as she left and nodded a silent greeting.

Charlie was still looking over the equation and had not seen them enter the room, but someone else had.

Don was sitting in a chair next to the professor's desk and noticing their arrival, he stood up taking a protective posture in front of the younger man.

Lobo turned quickly to face the agent and whispered angrily. "We had a deal Granger, we agreed on "no hardware," remember? I kept my end of the bargain, my guys stayed with the car!"

Colby calmly whispered back. "Just hang on a minute, it's not what you think."

He turned and rapped on the open door to announce their arrival. "Doctor Eppes."

Charlie turned so quickly that he stumbled into his brother's back and a muffled "Don, what are you doing? could be heard.

Don ignored him and continued to watch Santiago closely.

Colby turned to the latino with a slight smirk on his face and said "That's his brother, his "older" brother and my boss. Come on, I'll introduce you."

They walked over to the professor's desk and the agent said "Professor Charles Eppes, Special Agent Don Eppes, this is Che Lobo Santiago and his son Joe."

Don nodded his head in greeting but kept silent and much to his dismay, Charlie stepped in front of him and held out his hand.

"Hello, it's a pleasure to meet you and it also gives me a chance to personally thank you for your assistance with that problem I had a few weeks ago."

Che Lobo was taken aback by his friendly manner and despite Don's demeanor he visibly relaxed and shook the professor's hand. He had expected him to be more reserved and a little arrogant, considering all of his accomplishments, but this smiling, unassuming young man caught him completely by surprise.

Turning his attention to Joe, Charlie continued. "Agent Granger has been telling me that you have an interest in Math. You know, Math can open up a world of possibilities for you, if you are willing to work hard enough to achieve it."

Smiling, Che Lobo placed a hand on his son's shoulder, "He is very good at Math and Science too, all of his teacher's are impressed with his abilities." The pride in his voice was undeniable.

The look on Joe's face was nothing less than adoration, he was looking at Charlie like he was a famous rock star and tentatively held out the magazine that he had been carrying.

In a timid voice he asked, "Professor, may I please have your autograph?"

Charlie's eyebrows shot up so high that they were lost under his curls and his face reddened, embarrassed by this obvious display of idolism. He quickly glanced at his brother and Colby and, with his eyes, dared either one of them to make any comment about the request.

Don looked like he was about to make a remark, but at his brother's stare he quickly coughed and covered his mouth to hide his grin while Colby suddenly became immersed in the equations on the board.

Taking the offered magazine, the professor cleared his throat and said, "Um-sure-ah-okay,.. let's see… what do we have here?"

Turning the magazine over, he found his own image on the cover. He had recently published another equation and the science magazine had put him on the cover. Taking the magazine to his desk and sitting down he quickly grabbed a pen and proceeded to sign it for the boy.

When he finished, he stood and handed it back to Joe saying, "Maybe someday you'll consider CalSci when you are ready for college."

"Dad, can I? Joe demanded excitedly, "Can I please?"

Che Lobo's face broke into a grin. "Joe, if that's what you want to do when you are ready for college, then that's what we'll do."

Turning back to Charlie, he offered his hand again and as the young man shook it he said.

"Thanks for seeing us Professor."

Looking back down at his son he added, "Come on Joe, it's time for us to go."

Following father and son out the door, Colby gave a wave to the Eppes brothers and called out "See you later" as he left the room.

As Joe climbed into the car, Santiago turned around to face the agent.

"Thanks for arranging the meeting with the Professor, it really meant a lot to Joe" He looked a Colby thoughtfully before adding. " I admit that he wasn't what I expected, he was really nice."

"Yeah, he surprises a lot of people that way; sometimes you forget the whole "Einstein" part of him."

They were distracted by the sound of a door opening and the Eppes brothers emerged from the building.

It was one of those quiet evenings where the air is still and sound carries a long way, so it was easy to hear the rather heated discussion that was taking place.

"Seriously, Don, you have to talk to Dad for me, he's driving me crazy. I'm starting to feel claustrophobic!"

"Oh yeah, why is that?" Don asked as he pulled his sunglasses from his shirt pocket.

Charlie stopped and to emphasize his next statement, he waved his hands over his curly head saying, "Dad is in his "hovering" mode, he's constantly over me all of the time, it's like he's afraid I'll disappear or something!"

"Relax, Chuck, he almost lost you, remember? Just…you know…cut him a little slack, he'll be back to normal in a few days. Besides, no way am I going to take on "hovering Dad" bro." and putting on his glasses he started walking again.

Shifting his bag to his other shoulder, Charlie hurried to catch up to his brother.

"A few days….Don it's been eight weeks! Exasperated he added, "I don't know why I even mentioned this to you because you are just as bad as he is, and don't call me Chuck!"

Don stopped so quickly that Charlie had to side step around him or risk running right into him.

"Hey, I am not that bad… I don't "hover." the agent said defensively, mimicking his brother and waving his arms over his head.

Charlie raised his eyebrows, "Oh no…. then what are you doing here? It wasn't necessary for you to be here this evening you know?" He stood there and crossed his arms, waiting with a triumphant smile on his face.

"Well, uhm….I….ah….hey, look at the time." he said pointedly looking at his watch. We'd better get going, Dad will be waiting for us." and he quickly turned and headed for his SUV.

"That is so thin, Don." his brother called after him as he ran to catch up.

………………………………...

Che Lobo looked back at Colby, a slow grin appearing on his face, "Over-protective, older-brother" he said.

"Yeah" the agent agreed. "See ya." he said as he turned and headed for his car.

"Hey Granger" Santiago called, "I still owe you one."

Puzzled, Colby stopped and turned to face him. "I don't understand, I thought we were even; you helped us get the Professor back."

"You said it was Dr. Eppes who figured out where Duque was holding Joe, so helping you save the Professor repaid my debt to him. You risked your life to save Joe, I still owe you one."

Colby was surprised at his comment, but nodded thoughtfully at Santiago and as he turned away he said "See you around."

As Colby walked away he heard Joe's animated voice.

"Dad, look at what he wrote…To Joe, I hope to see you in one of my classes some day, and he signed it Dr. Charles Eppes. Wow, Dad, this is just so awesome!"

Santiago laughed and agreed with his son but before he closed the door, Colby heard Joe ask, "Dad, if I let my hair grow long, do you think it would curl like that?"

The car door closed before Colby could hear the latino's answer.

The agent laughed out loud as he pulled out of the parking lot, passing the Eppes brothers still arguing by the SUV.

Grinning from ear to ear, he looked in the rear view mirror at the brothers. It sure was good having Charlie back….Charles Eppes, Math Rock Star, yeah, he couldn't wait to tell Megan and David about this.

Finis

A/N: "Yes, it's true that Bashere is still out there, and unfortunately, " bad guys" are like "bad pennies," you never know when one is going to show up on a certain doorstep in Pasadena."

Please let me know what you think of the whole story or just the epilogue.


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